8/3/2019 Harper, Stephen (All Party Letter COP 17 Delegation -
En)
1/2
Right Honourable Stephen HarperPrime Minister of CanadaOffice of
the Prime Minister80 Wellington StreetOttawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
November 10, 2011
Dear Prime Minister,
We write on a matter of important policy and Parliamentary
tradition.
For decades, Canadian delegations to international conferences
have been understood to represent
Canada not merely the governing party. Canada's delegations have
included the opposition, provincialrepresentatives, and civil
society.
In the specific case of negotiations relating to climate action,
starting in 1990 at the first PreparatoryMeeting leading to the
Earth Summit (Rio, U.N. Conference on Environment and Development),
not onlywere opposition MPs included on the delegations, so too
were fully funded representatives from civilsociety groups
(environment, development, women, youth) and First Nations.
Business and industrygroups, as well as the trade union movement,
were also included, but at their own expense. Theseexemplary
practices took place under the Progressive Conservative majority of
former Prime Minister,the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney. There
was no change in these practices through the governmentsof Prime
Ministers Campbell, Chretien and Martin.
Your government broke with this tradition in 2006 when
opposition representatives were not includedin the COP 12
delegation to Nairobi, nor to COP 13 in Bali. By 2008 at COP 14 in
Poznan, the Canadiandelegation once again included opposition
members.
Opposition MPs were again included at COP 15 in Copenhagen
(2009) and COP 16 in Cancun (2010).
We were surprised and dismayed to learn from the Hon. Peter Kent
that opposition MPs were not to bepart of the delegation to COP 17
in Durban November 29December 9.
We are writing across party lines to ask for a
reconsideration.
We also request a specific rationale for this decision,
especially in light of the fact that in the past the
government has also included a number of business and industry
representatives in the delegation.
We wish to underscore that by informing us in late October that
opposition MPs are not to be includedon the delegation, our
opportunities to receive credentials to attend have been
compromised. Theconference is to begin in less than a month. The
UNFCCC Secretariat has closed registration. While it isan easy
matter for a Party to the FCCC (a country such as Canada) to add
names to its list of accreditedmembers, it is nearly impossible for
us as Parliamentarians to register at this point.
8/3/2019 Harper, Stephen (All Party Letter COP 17 Delegation -
En)
2/2
We wish to participate in COP 17 as have opposition members for
decades. The least the Canadiangovernment should be prepared to do
is to register opposition MPs as part of the delegation in order
toensure we have credentials for this important conference.
We look forward to your timely response.
Respectfully,
Megan Leslie, M.P.
Member of Parliament for Halifax
New Democratic Party Environment Critic
Kirsty Duncan, M.P.
Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North
Liberal Party of Canada Environment Critic
Elizabeth May, O.C., M.P.Member of Parliament for SaanichGulf
Islands
Leader of the Green Party of Canada
