Tag: canadian parliament

Canadian Businesses Rally Against Kyoto

A new coalition of Canadian business groups says their government’s plan to ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change will destroy the economy. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly has the story:

Transcript

A new coalition of Canadian business groups says their government’s plan to ratify the Kyoto
protocol on climate change will destroy the economy. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Karen Kelly has the story.


Petroleum producers, steel manufacturers and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce are among
the 25 industry groups who’ve joined together to oppose the treaty. The Kyoto Protocol would
require Canada to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by six percent below 1990-levels over the
next 10 years.


Prime Minister Jean Chretien is calling on parliament to ratify the Kyoto Protocol by the end of
the year, but Thomas D’Aquino of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives says the plan will be
disastrous for industry.


“You can’t say there won’t be any more growth. We won’t build any more plants, we won’t build
any more factories because if you tried to do that, you’d have a revolution on your hands in this
country.


A Canadian government report estimated that the changes required could cost Canada 15-billion
dollars in lost growth and 200,000 jobs. The business leaders say it’ll be even worse.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Karen Kelly.

Canadian Food Labeling Bill Defeated

The Canadian Parliament has voted down a bill that would have required labeling for genetically modified foods. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports:

Transcript

The Canadian Parliament has voted down a bill that would have required labelling for genetically modified foods. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly
reports.


The proposal called for labeling food when at least one percent of its ingredients have been genetically modified. Opinion polls have indicated that a large majority of
Canadians support the labeling. But farmers and food industry lobbyists fought the
bill. Holly Penfound of Greenpeace Canada is disappointed
with the defeat. But she says her group will now focus on convincing
companies to label voluntarily.


“We’re going to see more and more companies just gradually realize that they can be leaders in this or they can be followers and the ones who are going to be leaders are going to be in the best economic position in their marketplace.”


Several bills related to genetically modified foods have been introduced in the U.S. but mandatory labeling has yet to come to a vote. For The Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Karen Kelly.