$10 well wasted

I plan on attending Windsor's latest dog and pony show - Moving forward- what is our place in the global economy? - mainly to see Diane Francis. I've always enjoyed her writing and besides, she's a blogger too!

Her latest on Kyoto is a good read - Kyoto Is A Dead Duck and Should Be

In one of those "it's a small world" things, her fellow speaker is Glen Murray. Various promos for the event have highlighted Mr. Murray's current employment at Navigator and as Chair of the National Roundtable on the Evironment and Economy.

What many people may not know, or may have forgotten about is Mr. Murray's connections to the Federal Liberal Party. Former Mayor Murray was the serving Mayor of Winnipeg when he was recruited as a star candidate by Paul Martin to run in the 2004 elections. Murray lost the election to Conservative Candidate Steven Fletcher, Canada's first quadriplegic MP.

As with many things political, good deeds generally don't go unrewarded. In March of 2005 Paul Martin appointed Murray as Chair of the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy.

To bring things full circle, we have the passage of Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez's Private Members Bill C-288 - An Act to ensure Canada meets its global climate change obligations under the Kyoto Protocol (Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act).

One interesting section of the bill would require the government to create a plan within 60 days of the bill's Senate passage. The report is to be submitted to Parliament and.... The National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy.

REPORT

National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

10. (1) Within 60 days after the Minister publishes a Climate Change Plan under subsection 5(3), or within 30 days after the Minister publishes a statement under subsection 9(2), the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy established by section 3 of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act shall perform the following with respect to the Plan or statement:

(a) undertake research and gather information and analyses on the Plan or statement in the context of sustainable development; and

(b) advise the Minister on issues that are within its purpose, as set out in section 4 of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act, including the following, to the extent that they are within that purpose:

(i) the likelihood that each of the proposed measures or regulations will achieve the emission reductions projected in the Plan or statement,

(ii) the likelihood that the proposed measures or regulations will enable Canada to meet its obligations under Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Kyoto Protocol, and

(iii) any other matters that the Round Table considers relevant.

It really is a small world.

I'll have more on the "Moving Forward" event later on including some background info and a list of buzzwords to keep an eye out for during the evening while all the "thought provoking" and "inspiring" is going on.

* Bonus points if you can identify the former President and CEO of the Prime Minister's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy