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Chretien's genius is that he knows nothing
PM's 'genius' lies in not knowing details
Kate Jaimet, with files from Joe Paraskevas, Calgary Herald
Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, December 19, 2002
Prime Minister Jean Chretien's decision to ratify the Kyoto accord was based on a "gut feeling," not detailed knowledge of the international treaty, Environment Minister David Anderson said Wednesday.
"His critics, who frequently denounce this, fail to realize it is one of the signs of his genius that he doesn't want to know too much about certain things," Anderson said in a year-end interview.
"He gets the right gut feeling. And he's got the antenna, which very few people have, the political antenna. He's right on this."
Chretien signed the official ratification papers of the Kyoto accord Monday, after a vote of support in the House of Commons. In a year-end interview Wednesday, Chretien confirmed he considers Kyoto part of his prime ministerial legacy.
"Take Kyoto. I'm very proud of it," Chretien told CTV in the interview to be broadcast Dec. 26. "The Canadian people wanted it. All of you guys told me I was to break my neck. Was it not great?"
Kyoto commits Canada to reducing its annual greenhouse gas emissions by 240 megatonnes by the year 2010 -- emissions that are caused mainly by burning oil, gas and coal.
By going ahead with Kyoto ratification, Chretien faced the wrath of the Alberta government and powerful business groups, who argued the international treaty will make Canadian businesses noncompetitive by increasing the price of energy, and impede investment in oil and and gas development.
But others argued Kyoto would bring an economic surge in the form of new, green technologies, and Anderson said Wednesday that Chretien eventually became impatient with the naysayers.
"He didn't have to have everything proved to the satisfaction of every Alberta doubting CEO whose ingenious mind was dreaming up even more complicated reasons for saying no. He keeps things where they should be," Anderson said. "The prime minister had this view. He moved it forward."
Chretien began to seriously throw his weight behind Kyoto at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sept. 2, when he unexpectedly announced he would ask Parliament to vote on ratification before the end of 2002.
Anderson recalled the moment he knew for sure the prime minister would ratify.
"When we got the real tipoff was when he went to a high school in Ottawa. And he was asked a question: 'Are you going to ratify?' And he said: 'We're going to ratify.' That's the first time.
"It was in a high school with a 17-year-old student. That was about a month after Johannesburg," Anderson said.
The prime minister's resolve caused cabinet ministers to rally around the accord, Anderson recalled.
"Some of the more doubtful ones, I think, recognized that he was no longer patient with the constant hesitation, the constant fine difficulties or minor difficulties that floated up. He just had reached the end of listening to: 'Well, I went to a Chamber of Commerce meeting . . . and I think we should wait, I think we should delay.' You could see that stiffening up," Anderson said.
Although he was not legally obliged to ask for Parliament's assent to ratify the international treaty, Chretien sought agreement in the form of a government motion supporting Kyoto. The motion passed last week, with all Liberal cabinet ministers voting in favour.
Kate Jaimet, with files from Joe Paraskevas, Calgary Herald
Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, December 19, 2002
Prime Minister Jean Chretien's decision to ratify the Kyoto accord was based on a "gut feeling," not detailed knowledge of the international treaty, Environment Minister David Anderson said Wednesday.
"His critics, who frequently denounce this, fail to realize it is one of the signs of his genius that he doesn't want to know too much about certain things," Anderson said in a year-end interview.
"He gets the right gut feeling. And he's got the antenna, which very few people have, the political antenna. He's right on this."
Chretien signed the official ratification papers of the Kyoto accord Monday, after a vote of support in the House of Commons. In a year-end interview Wednesday, Chretien confirmed he considers Kyoto part of his prime ministerial legacy.
"Take Kyoto. I'm very proud of it," Chretien told CTV in the interview to be broadcast Dec. 26. "The Canadian people wanted it. All of you guys told me I was to break my neck. Was it not great?"
Kyoto commits Canada to reducing its annual greenhouse gas emissions by 240 megatonnes by the year 2010 -- emissions that are caused mainly by burning oil, gas and coal.
By going ahead with Kyoto ratification, Chretien faced the wrath of the Alberta government and powerful business groups, who argued the international treaty will make Canadian businesses noncompetitive by increasing the price of energy, and impede investment in oil and and gas development.
But others argued Kyoto would bring an economic surge in the form of new, green technologies, and Anderson said Wednesday that Chretien eventually became impatient with the naysayers.
"He didn't have to have everything proved to the satisfaction of every Alberta doubting CEO whose ingenious mind was dreaming up even more complicated reasons for saying no. He keeps things where they should be," Anderson said. "The prime minister had this view. He moved it forward."
Chretien began to seriously throw his weight behind Kyoto at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sept. 2, when he unexpectedly announced he would ask Parliament to vote on ratification before the end of 2002.
Anderson recalled the moment he knew for sure the prime minister would ratify.
"When we got the real tipoff was when he went to a high school in Ottawa. And he was asked a question: 'Are you going to ratify?' And he said: 'We're going to ratify.' That's the first time.
"It was in a high school with a 17-year-old student. That was about a month after Johannesburg," Anderson said.
The prime minister's resolve caused cabinet ministers to rally around the accord, Anderson recalled.
"Some of the more doubtful ones, I think, recognized that he was no longer patient with the constant hesitation, the constant fine difficulties or minor difficulties that floated up. He just had reached the end of listening to: 'Well, I went to a Chamber of Commerce meeting . . . and I think we should wait, I think we should delay.' You could see that stiffening up," Anderson said.
Although he was not legally obliged to ask for Parliament's assent to ratify the international treaty, Chretien sought agreement in the form of a government motion supporting Kyoto. The motion passed last week, with all Liberal cabinet ministers voting in favour.
How can this guy still be in power...his own cabinet ministers now are bragging about how Chretien doesn't really know anything, or want to know anything about a treaty, just takes a "gut feeling" and carries it all the way through, not really caring what it does to his country?
Even Bush at least pretends to know what's going on, and has a cabinet full of rather intelligent people (Chretien's cabinet is dumber than he is, sadly, or at least act like it when they suck up to him).
It's time to refooooooooooooooooorm
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