Ottawa is on the edge of its seat as party leaders dance around the possibility of a spring election -- one that could be triggered by changes the opposition is demanding to the government's key environment bill.
The Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois have completely revised the Tories' Clean Air Act, The Canadian Press reports.
The revised version requires hard emissions-cutting targets for industry, a $20 levy for every ton of emissions over targets, joining an international carbon-trading system and entering Kyoto -- all major changes that will be tough for the Tories to accept.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper could use it as motivation to trigger an election, or the government could let the bill die on the Commons order paper.
Several environmental groups held a news conference Friday to express their support for the revised bill, which they helped draft.
"We wanted to be very clear this is an environmental act that came about through cooperation of environmental organizations across the country and opposition parties, and we tried to cooperate with government members on the party," said John Bennett of the Climate Action Network of Canada. Source...
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