Western Standard - June 17, 2022


EXCLUSIVE： Marcel Latouche speaks on the Calgary climate plan.


Episode Stats

Length

7 minutes

Words per Minute

148.47484

Word Count

1,139

Sentence Count

84


Summary

In this episode, we discuss the proposed $87Billion dollar climate plan by the City of Calgary, and why it should not go ahead. We also talk about why the plan is a waste of money and what we can do about it.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 87 billion dollar climate plan that they are planning.
00:00:05.020 Yeah, right. Right. That's that's that's part of of these global policies coming down the pike.
00:00:12.700 There's the problem with this. Apparently, since I am a bit out of the loop these days,
00:00:19.440 it was only a four paper, four pages stuff that went to the committee and people say, oh, we've got to look at it.
00:00:26.220 When we got we when we get these kind of policies coming down the pike, 87 billion dollars.
00:00:35.900 Do we want a participation? And when I talk about participation,
00:00:43.520 we're going to allow knowledgeable financial and policy people to take part in a debate.
00:00:52.800 Are we going to have council allowing people to take part of the discussion and the debate before they implement it?
00:01:01.560 As opposed to 15 people down in council, excuse me, 15 people down in council going to say, OK,
00:01:09.540 we are going to adopt this paper, whatever number of pages it is, with or without details to impose 87 billion dollars cost on future Calgarians.
00:01:22.800 This cannot be allowed. I have said and I've written already on my Facebook post.
00:01:28.680 We were able to stop the 2026 Olympic bid.
00:01:34.500 Citizens of Calgary will have to stand up immediately
00:01:40.200 to take part in a debate about the 87 billion climate plan.
00:01:44.700 We've got to do the same thing we did about the Olympics bid to 2026 against or for the 87 billion climate plan.
00:01:56.260 And I'm prepared to get part in that debate.
00:01:58.500 Yeah, well, let's hope that they get some traction.
00:02:01.920 I know they're trying their hardest to get that shoved through as fast as they can.
00:02:05.460 Mayor Gondek was furious that they put it off even into the start of July.
00:02:09.340 So it's going to be hard to bring it up for debate.
00:02:12.700 But even once they vote on it in July, I mean, you don't have to let it go.
00:02:15.580 We can still stay on their case because this plan is insane.
00:02:17.920 Well, it's not going to be insane.
00:02:20.840 I mean, as I said, since I have been a bit outside of the loop, we don't even know the content.
00:02:27.280 I mean, you know, we don't know the details.
00:02:29.620 And it is always the problem, the consequences are always in the details.
00:02:35.880 Are we just going to have a bloated administration telling us that they want to get into climate change
00:02:41.940 and impose policies based on climate change?
00:02:45.380 I am a conservationist.
00:02:47.380 I believe that the climate changes all the time.
00:02:50.120 I believe that we can improve our lives by making changes to the way that we behave,
00:02:58.040 the way that we use our resources.
00:03:00.400 However, I don't want little politicians and little bureaucrats getting so much power to tell us what to do.
00:03:08.260 I mean, let's start with something extremely simple.
00:03:11.940 Garbage collection.
00:03:14.300 You have three bins in Calgary.
00:03:16.720 Look at how much it costs us.
00:03:18.660 And the rates goes up every year.
00:03:22.180 And we don't have a say or choice on how to get rid of our garbage.
00:03:28.460 And so-called landfill site management has not improved in years, even with the three bins.
00:03:34.840 In fact, we can't even sell the recycling material that we said were going to be saved and cut costs and bring us some revenue.
00:03:46.460 This is the sort of thing that demands a great debate, a much wider debate, with people for and against a policy of that nature.
00:03:56.780 $87 billion is a lot of money.
00:04:00.140 And we've got to start looking seriously at how council is managing our lives.
00:04:06.240 We can't just let 15 people, half of them wouldn't get a job out there today.
00:04:11.120 If they were not in council, they would not be making $100,000 a year in this new economic environment.
00:04:20.380 They're just there.
00:04:21.600 They haven't got a clue what is going on.
00:04:23.980 They just got papers shoved in front of them and saying, oh, these people we've appointed in administration, these people in administration are looking after their job.
00:04:40.440 They are there.
00:04:41.400 They will put anything in front of council that is going to save them the next five years and 60 years of pensions down the road.
00:04:50.200 That's all it is.
00:04:51.440 There is no principles in there.
00:04:53.500 There is no research, but just questioning things is not happening by council.
00:05:00.600 Yeah, well, municipal, it's just another level of politics that people don't pay enough attention to.
00:05:05.360 We've got to bring the debate to them because they won't bring it to us if we let them get away with it.
00:05:09.340 So, well, we can just keep pushing and shouting and doing what we can.
00:05:13.700 So before we wrap up, I guess, where can people find more information?
00:05:18.100 You're active on Facebook these days, and you've still got your books out there too, don't you?
00:05:21.760 Yeah, I've still got my books.
00:05:23.500 My books are on Amazon.
00:05:25.180 So, I mean, you know, they're still there.
00:05:26.920 They are there.
00:05:28.100 I mean, you know.
00:05:28.640 So, but I'm not pushing the books anymore, as I said, you know, but it's out there.
00:05:34.860 You can get it at Amazon.
00:05:36.600 The other thing is that I have my blog, and, you know, my blog is still there.
00:05:41.780 I still blog, and I'm on Facebook.
00:05:44.100 So I have a number of followers, and as I have said, I mean, this climate change policy is very important.
00:05:51.560 And I say to people, we've got to mobilize ourselves the same way we did for the Calgary Olympics 2026.
00:06:00.660 We were successful in killing it.
00:06:03.280 I took part in debates.
00:06:05.160 I explained to people on, with Daniel, when Daniel Smith was on the radio, I took part on those debates.
00:06:12.580 And I think we've got to do the same thing.
00:06:14.700 We cannot allow the administration to put forward a policy that is going to affect future Calgarians for years to come without a public discussion and debate.
00:06:27.920 Well, let's hope we can get it on the table, Marcel.
00:06:31.560 It's all we can do is keep pushing and trying.
00:06:33.700 So thanks for coming on to chat with us all again today.
00:06:36.600 I hope you're doing well, and I hope we can talk again soon.
00:06:39.860 Maybe we'll see some positive developments to talk about.
00:06:41.820 I'm very happy to be with you from time to time.
00:06:44.340 I will share my views, even if sometimes controversial, but I enjoy it, and I will share my views.
00:06:51.940 And I will maybe write a column for you sometime down the road here and get you to publish it.
00:07:00.460 So always happy to be with you guys.
00:07:02.420 You're doing a great job, and I'm very happy to contribute.
00:07:06.440 Thank you very much, and have a good weekend.
00:07:08.580 Great.
00:07:08.780 Thanks, Marcel.
00:07:09.380 I'll talk to you again soon.
00:07:10.300 I'll talk to you again soon.