Imagine if...Michael Foriter had been environment minister?

According to a new book by Chantal Hebert it very nearly happened. I've nearly finished French Kiss: Stephen Harper's Blind Date with Quebec and I'll have a review up in a day or two. But I wanted to share this excerpt, which was news to me at least (emphasis mine):

The appointment of Rona Ambrose to the file had been an afterthought; Harper had originally considered starting off his mandate on that front with an absentee minister from the House of Commons. In an early Cabinet plan, Michael Fortier, the prime minister's Senate appointee, would have taken the portfolio with him to the upper house – where he would have been largely sheltered from daily opposition attacks over the Kyoto Protocol.

In hindsight, it was providential for the Conservatives that the scheme fell through…

Was a miracle for Steve is what is was. Could you imagine the Conservatives trying to pretend to be serious about the environment and climate change if the minister responsible were an unelected, unaccountable Senator that couldn't be questioned in the House of Commons?

And really, just the fact that Steve was even considering this, and that it was for the very reason of hiding the environment file from accountability, I think speaks volumes to the true commitment, or lack thereof, Harper really has to the environment issue.

Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers