NDP's 'Climate Change Accountability Act' Bill Passes in the House of Commons

On May 5, 2010, the House of Commons passed Bill C- 311, the Climate Change Accountability Act (the "Act"), requiring that the Government of Canada set science-based Greenhouse Gas ("GHG") reduction targets that are more aggressive than any proposed by Canada's ruling Conservative party. The Act passed its third reading in the House by a slim majority of 149 to 136.

Bill C-311 is an NDP-sponsored private members bill, which saw no support from the Conservative minority in the House, who voted unanimously against it. Each of the votes in favour came from opposition MPs, who joined together for the purpose of passing this legislation. In reviewing the bill in the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Liberals indicated that the bill was incomplete and should have been amended by the NDP to resolve problems raised in the review. Notwithstanding their concern with the bill, they supported the bill as a call on the government to come up