Re: Weaver sworn in as first Green MLA (News, June 12)
For the plurality of Oak Bay–Gordon Head voters who elected Andrew Weaver it is no doubt fitting that he was ahead the other 84 MLAs in taking the oath of office.
With a PhD in applied mathematics, as a UVic professor (now on political leave), and as the lead climate scientist of the panel that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. vice-president Al Gore, Weaver has (risking understatement) unique qualifications. As a newbie, can he adjust to the unique economic realities of provincial politics?
Weaver’s priorities may be evident in the titles of his published books; Keeping our Cool: Canada in a Warming World; and Generation Us: The Challenge of Global Warming.
Will his emphasis on global warming further prejudice his already limited influence as a lone-wolf MLA?
Despite a commitment “to do policy, not to fight,” and for behind the scenes collaboration, Weaver has already announced his intention to press the government on its agenda to develop the liquefied natural gas exports which are of core importance in Premier Christy Clark’s promotion of the world-class north-east B.C. natural gas resources.
It’s unfortunate that Weaver’s first economic policy gambit as an MLA is an attack on the cleanest of fossil fuels and potentially massive export-earnings.
Let’s not forgo the associated federal and provincial tax revenues, regional government fees and taxes, plus significant long-term employment opportunities presented by a made-in-B.C. development opportunity.
The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was based on climate change prognostication. There does not appear to be a Nobel Prize in economics on the horizon.
Ron Johnson
Saanich