The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 4

A4 IIWESTCOASTNEWS BREAKING NEWS: VANC0UVERSUN.COM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2011 OPINION Political climate change leaves B.C. green plan in a fog Campbell's environmental priority goes MIA as Clark's agenda takes over displayed now appears only in the fine print, along with dozens of other links. The elements of the strategy are losing support and being discredited, not just by climate change skeptics, but by critics who don't doubt the science but still don't like some of the policies being used to address it. It's not clear how the first target legislated under the plan, a 33-per-cent reduction from 2007 levels by 2020, will be met. Emissions increased in 2008 and the dip in 2009 is largely attributed to the slowdown in the economy.

The disintegration of the Western Climate Initiative undermines a key component to the justification for the carbon tax. The cap-and-trade system that was being developed in concert with the WCI and achieves neutrality by buying carbon offsets, a practice that is both questionable in concept and in the way it is being implemented through the Pacific Carbon Trust, the agency set up to buy and sell the offsets. Many British Columbians have been incensed by the way schools and health authorities have been forced to buy carbon offsets only to watch some ol those dollars be turned over to the energy giant Encana. Throw in the promise to cut the planned rate increases at BC Hydro in half, increases that were central to Hydro's part in the energy plan developed while Campbell was premier, and the net effect is that B.C.'s climate change plan is in need of a major overhaul. cmcinnesvancouversun.com to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012.

Canada is among the countries that are not interested in making that happen and there is little expectation that anything substantial will emerge. Meanwhile, the alliance that was pushing ahead on the level of states and provinces in the absence of national and international action has quietly disintegrated. As reported by The Vancouver Sun's Gordon Hamilton last week, six American states have officially withdrawn from the Western Climate Initiative, leaving only California and four provinces, including B.C., in the framework to develop a carbon trading system designed to ratchet down industrial emissions. Back in the not-too-distant past when Campbell was now seems unlikely to proceed was the piece that was supposed to require large emitters to start doing their share. As for the carbon tax, it also seems to be near the end of its run.

I don't expect it to be repealed, but the Liberal-dominated legislative committee on finances that tours the province every year in advance of the budget has recommended that the increase scheduled for 2012 be the last. At that level, the tax will continue to have little effect on consumer behaviour, especially if we know it is not going to continue to increase. Another showpiece, the province's claim to be carbon neutral, is falling short on two counts. First, it doesn't include the output of BC Ferries, a major emitter. Second, the government teaming up with then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the dynamic duo of climate change, that might have been enough to keep the momentum going.

But Schwarzenegger has gone back to making movies and Campbell is now doing Prime Minister Stephen Harper's bidding as the high commissioner to London. Harper has never been a fan of Kyoto and Campbell's replacement in Victoria, Premier Christy Clark, has moved on to a jobs-and-family agenda that appears to reflect little enthusiasm for her predecessor's North American-leading green agenda. On the provincial government's website, gov.bc.ca, the climate change program that used to be prominently seek immediate injunction against new protest camp CRAIG McINNES VANCOUVER SUN The science hasn't changed. If anything, the dire predictions about climate change have intensified. But the political will to take it on is fast disappearing as the economy continues to struggle and nowhere is that more evident than here in British Columbia, where what was a centrepiece of Gordon Campbell's government is slowly crumbling away.

Next week, nations around the world are gathering in Durban, South Africa, in the latest attempt to come up with meaningful and enforceable goals OCCUPY VANCOUVER Premier to BY MIKE HAGER VANCOIMR SUN Premier Christy Clark vowed to immediately seek a new court injunction to shut down Occupy Vancouver's latest tent city, after the protest relocated to a dry area outside the courthouse at Robson Square on Monday afternoon. "They're ignoring in my view the spirit of the court order," Clark said, referring to a B.C. Supreme Court injunction obtained by the City of Vancouver on Friday. "The spirit of it was that they should pack up and leave not move to a new site. "We'll be seeking an injunction tomorrow as soon as the court opens at 10 a.m." Friday's injunction ordered the protesters to clear the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza of all tents and structures by 2 p.m.

Monday. As the deadline approached, dozens of Occupy Vancouver participants carried their tents, both personal and communal, across Robson Street to the steps of the provincial courthouse. In bone-chilling rain, police and firefighters stood by as the majority of the tents were set up in the Robson Square complex, under an overhead walkway that leads to an elevated garden facing the art gallery. "I think it's a symbolic mm mm a move said the new site poses rewards and challenges for the movement. "On a couple levels it's very smart because it bides some time," Eby said.

"It may not have been the best location because the court can seek its own injunction, but it certainly does keep the camping theme of the protest alive." Eby said that while the province seeks to evict the Occupiers, the court could issue an independent injunction based on a 1988 case barring the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union from picketing the courts and restricting the public's access. The court could force Occupiers to move if it deems their presence is limiting public access to the courts, Eby said. Many Occupiers said they plan to stay at the new location indefinitely. By Monday evening, tents had been removed from the art gallery site.

Several Occupiers and a city crew worked to clear the remaining debris and return the area to its original state before the tent city sprang up last month. The move across Robson Street was orchestrated by a small committee without the knowledge of the greater Occupy Vancouver movement to make sure the relocation was decisive and successful, according to Occupier Suresh Fernando. statement given that the B.C. Supreme Court just handed down what can only be classified as a hasty and reactive ruling," said longtime Occupier Sean O'Flynn-Magee, referring to Friday's injunction, which found the city trespass bylaw had been breached. Said O'Flynn-Magee: "Changing jurisdictions is a necessary step because Occupy Vancouver is not about struggling at the municipal level." Bigger communal tents, like the food and medic tents, went up on three different levels of the complex overlooking the Robson Square ice rink.

The site has several tenants, including the University of B.C. The new tent city is on provincial land, something Occupiers were keenly aware of. "It's a good move in our little chess game," said Occupier Michael Keeling, as he stood near the new tent city eating a banana and holding a Cascadia flag. Clark said she has never visited Occupy Vancouver but agreed the original movement had a point to make about income inequality. But she said she has no sympathy for the group's latest move.

"I just think this kind of nonsense tests the public's patience." David Eby, director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association whose organization had orange-T-shirt-wearing volunteers observing Monday's 1 1 WvoW-fK City workers remove pallets and Vancouver encampment Monday the area had passed. "As my sign says, 'We're sorry about the inconvenience, but we're trying to change the Tensions flared as Vancouver police arrested a man around 4 p.m. at the intersection of Robson and Howe Streets for disturbing the peace. As a handful of police officers waited for a wagon to take Occupier Alejandro Rivas away, about 100 protesters encircled them.

They shouted "Let him go!" and, after Rivas was taken away, chanted: "Peaceful! Protest!" First nations elder Telaquaa, who goes by one name, said Rivas had got into an altercation with an Occupy Vancouver "peacekeeper." Rivas, a 40-year-old audio engineer from Mexico who has lived in Canada for more than 10 years, was released by Vancouver police shortly after his arrest because the Occupy peacekeeper did not want to press charges, according to police. After the arrest, several people lay down in the middle of the intersection while police tried to keep traffic moving. Travis McCrae said he decided to occupy the intersection after he was shoved by police while trying to find out what happened to Rivas. "We thought that taking an intersection would just let people know that these are our streets the 99 per cent's streets," McCrae said. "It's going to upset a couple people, but it's only a few minutes out of their day and I said I was only going to be out there for five minutes.

VANCOUVER ISLAND HEALTH Husband of senior BY CINDY E. HARNETT AND ROB SHAW The husband of one of Premier Christy Clark's top advisers has been awarded a lucrative contract at the Vancouver Island Health Authority without going through the normal public process. Stewart Muir, a former Vancouver Sun editor, was direct-awarded a $181,000 job as vice-president of communications and external relations for the health authority. The contract is good for up to a year. Muir's wife, Athana Ment-zelopoulos, is Premier Christy Clark's deputy minister for corporate priorities.

There was no public advertisement posted for the job. Health Minister Mike de Jong said Monday he is sorting out the details of the hiring. "I only learned about the situation today," de Jong said. "My expectation for the Vancouver Island Health Authority all health authorities is that contract procurements and hirings will take place in accordance with the guidelines in place. "If that's not what occurred, I expect to be told why not." VIHA's "fair business practice" policy says it can't direct-award contracts worth more than $75,000.

But the policy does allow an exemption "in the event of an urgent and Clark aide wins lucrative PR contract MONTECRISTO Creators of Original Handcrafted Jewellery since 1978 IAN LINDSAY PNG other debris from the Occupy after a 2 p.m. deadline to vacate mhagerpostmedia.com TwitterMikePHager with file from Evan Duggan to end in March 2012 "unless it is extended by mutual agreement," Waldner said. Sweeney, who served as Gordon Campbell's chief of staff in 2001-03, earned $177,366 plus $12,402 in expenses in 2010-11 while at VIHA. VIHA could spend $181,000 on Muir, including $140,000 in salary, up to $25,000 on expenses and $16,000 on federal sales tax. Since Sweeney left, the job has been temporarily filled by existing VIHA communications staffer Suzanne Germain.

NDP health critic Mike Farn-worth questioned why a job that has been backfilled for eight months had to be filled immediately. The job "probably should have been tendered" at the "very least," said Farnworth. The NDP argues the contract is worth the equiv-j alent of 720 MRIs. 1 Muir's wife's position in the' premier's office did not play; a role in his hiring, Waldner said. I "It had absolutely no impact at all whatsoever.

I never met that individual. The indi-j vidual was an applicant and hired entirely on his own mer-! its. There was never any communication with me from any outside body regarding this appointment." Waldner added: "There's no special treatment in VIHA." Postmedia News unforeseeable situation where time is of the essence." All exemptions must be approved by the president and CEO, the policy states. VIHA president Howard Waldner, in an interview from Toronto, said he never placed an advertisement for the interim job: "I wouldn't call it a mistake. In hindsight, perhaps we could have put an advert out.

And someone might say we should have put an advert out." Waldner said the health authority had been looking for someone for months: "We did a number of interviews. But it's a small town and we never found the right person." The authority "needed to get someone on board reasonably quickly" and a tender process can take three or four months, Waldner said, adding that wasn't appropriate given the interim contract nature of the appointment. VIHA started another process of interviewing people "in the community" two months ago, he said. However, the job has been vacant for at least eight months. The previous employee, Neil Sweeney, took a "leave of absence" from VIHA on March 14 to become deputy minister of government communication and public engagement, formerly the Public Affairs Bureau.

His temporary leave, to which Waldner agreed, is scheduled The Collection I Exclusively at I 'I MONTECRISTO I HASTINGS AT HORNBY 604.899.8866 I OAKRIDGE CENTRE I 604.263.3611 METROPOLIS AT METROTOWN I i 604.325.2116.