Environment may be key to election win, Mulroney says

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney says environmental issues might be a key to capturing the next federal election.

In an interview with CBC Radio from Montreal, Mulroney said if the Stephen Harper government doesn’t move more quickly, other parties, such as the Liberals, are waiting to claim the environment as their issue.
Mr. Mulroney said given the Liberals’ record on the environment, that could be a tragedy.
The former prime minister says for the middle class, there is not much in the way of policy that resonates beyond tax cuts.
One key exception, he said, is the environment.
?This resonates, particularly well with this highly independent voting bloc in Canada. If you want their support ? and believe me, you can’t get elected very often without it ? then you’ve got to be sensitive to questions about the environment.?
Mr. Mulroney’s advice to Mr. Harper comes as the Tory government faces criticism over climate change.
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose was before a parliamentary committee this week where she again had to defend her government’s position that Canada cannot meet its Kyoto targets.
Ms. Ambrose has come under daily attack from the Opposition for her handling of this file.
Mr. Mulroney said the Clean Air Act is just the beginning of a plan.
?I think there’s more work to be done on that, both substantively and presentationally, and my guess is that that’s where the government is heading.?