Climate Action: Questions for Candidates in the 2019 Federal Election

By | September 4, 2019

The Group of 78’s Working Group on Climate Change is working to raise the issue in the upcoming federal election.  The actions include circulating the messages and recommendations from last year’s policy conference to politicians as well as producing short articles or “op-eds” for the media.  The group of 78 invites citizen participation by providing a list of questions to be posed to local candidates (below).

Here’s how we suggest it works:

  • Find the names and email addresses of all the local candidates in your constituency. They should be easily available through party websites.
  • Prepare a short email to each one of them to state that you consider the climate challenge (one of) the most important issues to be addressed during the campaign and by the next Parliament.
  • Include any or all of the attached questions in your email and state that their answers will help you decide for whom to vote in October.
  • Send the emails separately to each candidate.
  • How you actually use their responses is, of course, your private business. If you would like to share the candidates’ responses, please send them to group78@group78.org or 608-63 Sparks St, Ottawa ON, K1P 5A6, with any comments about them and this exercise.
  • We also encourage you to send follow up questions to candidates who reply if you want more or clearer information from them; engage them in a dialogue.

The questions are derived from the Group of 78’s 2018 Conference Conclusions objectives.

The Group of 78 thanks you for the engagement with your candidates on this critical issue.

 

Questions on Climate Change for 2019 Candidates PDF

 

Questions for Candidates in the 2019 Federal Election:

  1. Do you accept the science that we are in a climate emergency that requires our urgent action and increased ambition?
  2. How would your party act in government to help Canadians better understand the climate emergency?
  3. To deal effectively with climate change, do you believe that a comprehensive plan of climate-related policies and actions needs to be implemented in the next mandate?
  4. Do you agree that putting a price on carbon pollution must be among the measures taken to address the climate crisis?
  5. Would you support eliminating all federal subsidies to the fossil fuel industry?
  6. Are you willing to redirect all or part of these funds toward green energy measures?
  7. How would your party support a transition in Canada’s agriculture toward more sustainable practices adapted to climate change?
  8. How would your party provide strong federal government leadership to strengthen Canada’s infrastructure to adapt to the challenge of climate change?
  9. Would you support Canada making a significant contribution towards poorer countries’ adaptation to the effects of climate change?