Blue Like You

Archive for June 7th, 2007

From the G8 Summit:

Breakthrough on climate protection!

The leading industrialised nations (G8) aim to at least halve global CO2 emissions by 2050. The Heads of State and Government agreed at Heiligendamm to achieve this goal together as part of a UN process. The big emerging economies are also to be incorporated in the process.
The German Chancellor and G8 President was convinced and visibly pleased that this was “the most important decision for the coming two years.” Many participants had moved their positions quite considerably. The agreement that binding goals on reducing emissions were necessary was “an important signal”, said Angela Merkel.

The resolutions adopted by the EU, Japan and Canada form the basis of the agreement reached on climate protection at Heiligendamm. The approach suggested by the United States was added to this, namely of incorporating the biggest greenhouse gas emitters outside the United States, especially China and India.

This is not a good news day for Stephane Dion.

You only need to have a quick glance at the front page of today’s Record, to see that if the McGuinty Fiberals are planning to use their own record as their election platform, they’d better ramp up that spin cycle big time.

Medical wait times and education are supposed to be two areas of great accomplishment, and yet we see articles about “Totally unacceptable” MRI wait times, and charges of the government turning a blind eye to unfair tuition fees (Ontario colleges facing lawsuit over fees).

But the biggest sign of all that the Premier might be in trouble is this.

(H/T National Newswatch).

If you’re wondering what the Honourable member from LaSalle—Émard has been up to lately, wonder no more. The Post informs us he is in the process of building a golf course in his backyad::

By Mr. Martin’s own admission, a little practice would not be amiss. While he lists golf as his favourite sport to play, he said through an aide yesterday that his handicap is “21 and getting worse.”

Some people have gazebos or waterfalls in their backyards, but what the heck. A golf course sounds like fun, doesn’t it? And he assures us he is meeting all the environmental concerns. A good green golfer is our Paulie. We can feel proud.

Apparently there are other notables with this hobby:

Mr. Martin, who resigned as Liberal leader following the party’s 2006 election defeat but remains MP for the Montreal riding of LaSalle-Emard, will enter illustrious company once his course is ready, expected to be next summer.

Mr. Martin’s former boss at Power Corp., Paul Desmarais, recently built a complete golf course on his property in Quebec’s Charlevoix region. Tim Hortons’ co-founder Ron Joyce built himself an 18-hole course along the Northumberland Strait in Nova Scotia.

The budget for Mr. Martin’s project is not known, but golf architects say building a single hole can cost $100,000.

(Of course those guys aren’t still sucking at the government teat.)

Yep. Good old Paul Martin. Just your regular Tim Horton’s kind of guy.