Angry in the Great White North

This is turning into a lousy week for the Liberal Party.

Fresh from an exciting leadership convention, the new leader, Stephane Dion, was immediately on the defensive, showing us a petulant side of his personality as many Canadians asked, reasonably I think, whether it made sense for senior Canaidna leaders to have mutiple citizenships.

Even as we were treated to Stephane Dion sputtering on about his mother, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper revealed a health and safety program with major environmental overtones, and in doing so, undermined Stephane Dion's position as the only committed environmental politician with the ability to effect real change.

Seems like real change is coming from the Conservative government while the Liberals dither away in opposition. In this case, it is the announcement of a major new plan to regulate the use of toxic chemicals in Canada:

The Conservative government has launched a $300-million plan to curb the use of toxic chemicals in Canada.

The plan, which will be implemented over four years, focuses on chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment.

"Some chemicals are inherently dangerous and can remain so for a long time," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday. "They must be carefully managed and regulated. This is what our chemical plan provides for.

"It will make Canada a world leader in the testing and regulating of chemicals used in thousands of consumer products," he said.

Though this program is the responsibiliy of the Minister of Health, Tony Clement, environmentalists are particularly happy, and one makes a pointed remark aimed directly at Stephane Dion:

Rick Smith, who heads the Canadian advocacy group Environmental Defence, applauds the government's plan. He said the chemicals it targets are highly toxic and cause cancer, and are dangerous for the development of children.

"This announcement is long over due, frankly," he told CBC News. "It's a great step to bring us up to the level of the kind of programs we're already seeing around the world.

"This is a significant step forward for pollution reduction in Canada."

Smith said the United States and Europe have traditionally been better than Canada at controlling toxic pollutants.

Long overdue? Well, the Conservative government has only been in power since February, so no one could blame the Conservatives for Canada lagging in this. Environmentalists should probably ask the previous minister of the environment why Canada is without this sort of chemical management regime.

And that would be...wait for it...Stephane Dion, minister of the environment under Paul Martin, appointed in June 2004.

Not a very good week for Stephane Dion at all.