Quadrant Online - Gillard's climate spin

Julia Gillard made it clear in the leaders’ debate that her citizens’ assembly will be set-up to help bring the country with her, which less politely put means ‘to re-educate those who presently have different views into seeing the wisdom of the Great Leader, or at least of the proposals Labor would otherwise want to bring in’. It will be a grouping of cheerleaders for an ETS.

That’s precisely what elections and democracy do NOT produce, groupthink. They produce instead differences of opinion, where everyone thinks he or she has the best interests of society at heart. They simply differ on means.

The sort of thing Gillard is proposing is anything but that. It is premised on an incredibly elitist view of the world, where all we poor dumb bastards need educating and shepherding along by a 150 philosopher kings, or ETS queens. It’s a very patronising view.

No one for a minute thinks this citizens’ assembly will be set-up to indulge in vigorous differences of opinion, with stinging minority reports being written, and blasts issued in the direction of a Prime Minister Gillard. No, no, no. This will be stage managed theatre.

Alberta rolls out slick oilsands campaign, as Quebec, Saskatchewan lend support

He's buoyed by the fact most premiers have been speaking positively about the importance of the oilsands, including Quebec's Jean Charest, who's expressed concerns in the past about greenhouse gas emissions from developing the northern Alberta oil deposits.

Charest said his comments, while in Copenhagen last December at an international climate change conference, were "spun" by other governments to suggest he was attacking the oilsands.

"Totally false," Charest said about his purported attacks on the resource and Alberta, insisting he wants to see all provinces pull their weight on slashing carbon emissions.