ROTHENBURGER: Elections Canada shouldn’t decide who has a say on climate change

KAMLOOPS — IT APPEARS A CHILL has set in on the most important issue of our time after the strange warning from Elections Canada that came to light this week.

Some environmental groups are expressing reluctance about getting involved in the climate change debate.

After Peoples Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier questioned the reality and cause of climate change, Elections Canada warned about the risks of running afoul of regulations on partisan advertising.

Chief electoral officer Stephane Perrault responded to the resulting uproar yesterday with a public statement saying environmental groups are free to promote action on climate change in social media, door-to-door canvassing and media interviews.

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The rub is in restrictions on ads that mention positions taken by a political party. Any group doing that must go through the process of registering as a “third party.”

Most federal party leaders including Bernier himself were quick to outright condemn the very idea that debating climate change might be restricted in any sense — all leaders, that is, except Justin Trudeau.

Bernier called it “absurd” and “draconian.” Elizabeth May said it was “lunacy.” Jagmeet Singh said debating “the single biggest threat to humanity” isn’t partisan.

Trudeau, however, said only that he’d take a look at it, then expressed frustration that some politicians still believe climate change isn’t real.

Can the man actually answer a question? Does he have any clue what Canadians are thinking? (By the way, when Terry Lake announced his intention to run as a federal Liberal he gave as his reason Trudeau’s stand on climate change.)

This whole thing is a strange, even dangerous turn given the importance of the issue. It shouldn’t be up to Elections Canada to tell Canadians how and where they can discuss it.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.