Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Ontario, Quebec wash hands of oilsands

COPENHAGEN -- Delegations from Ontario and Quebec wasted no time before differentiating their position from the federal government's after arriving Sunday at the climate change conference in Copenhagen -- declaring they weren't going to carry higher emission-reduction burdens for the sake of oilsands expansion in the Western provinces.

"I don't think it takes a genius to figure out that with the tarsand oils that are being developed in Alberta and Saskatchewan that -- of discussions that I've seen and been a part of -- they want to continue to develop those," said Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen.

"Obviously if they are developed there might have to be larger greenhouse gas emissions (reductions) elsewhere in the country in order to meet our overall targets. And we want fairness."

Gerretsen and Quebec Environment Minister Line Beauchamp held a joint news conference to say the two provinces will continue to work together to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. They also said the federal government's targets are weak.

"I think the federal government seems to certainly want to hear more from the provinces this time around. But I mean in the end result, what is the ultimate target that the federal government is going to set?" he said.

-- Canwest News Service

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 14, 2009 A9

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