Elizabeth May: Conservative 'Anti-Environmental' Budget Is 'No Surprise' | HuffPost

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“There’s nothing here that suggests anything visionary or comprehensive or actually strategic,” says Green party leader.

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Politics Reporter, HuffPost Canada

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Elizabeth May warns there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors to wade through in the new federal budget — especially for those seeking any promise of environmental action.

Finance Minister Joe Oliver tabled details of the government’s long-awaited budget on Tuesday. In its 518 pages, there’s zero mention of climate change compared to 106 references to oil.

It’s an omission that doesn’t shock the Saanich-Gulf Islands MP.

“Once again, no surprise, an anti-environmental budget,” the Green party Leader said in an interview with The Huffington Post Canada. May uses the Tories' pledge to “provide accelerated capital costs allowance” to the liquified natural gas industry as an example.

“Stephen Harper’s broken his pledge to the G20 to end fossil fuel subsidies by opening up a new fossil fuel subsidy to LNG,” May said. “Maybe they forgot LNG is a fossil fuel.”

Under a section of the budget titled “Protecting Canada’s Environment,” the government makes brief and general mentions of “significant action” it’s undertaken since 2006.

“Substantial investments have been made in clean energy and energy efficiency, protecting Canadians from toxic substances, cleaning up federal contaminated sites and the Great Lakes, and improving Canada’s weather services,” reads the budget.

But May says it does little to protect Canada’s natural environment.

“There’s nothing to make up for the slashing of National Parks budget,” she said. “So it’s basically acknowledging national parks are a wonderful thing… but there’s nothing,” she continued. “There’s no money.”

It’s not all gloomy news. May says she’s satisfied with a handful of the measures proposed in Oliver’s first budget as finance minister.

Reaffirmation of the government’s stance to re-establish a moratorium on oil and gas development in Georges Bank, N.S., earns a green checkmark in her books. Several initiatives proposed for seniors and students are also worthy of praise too, said May.

But overall, May says it's a budget that gets a “failing grade.”

“There’s nothing here that suggests anything visionary or comprehensive or actually strategic,” she said.

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Highlights From Federal Budget 2015

A balanced budget(01 of65)

The budget is balanced, with a projected surplus of $1.4 billion this year, increasing to $4.8 billion in 2019-20. (credit:Toronto Star via Getty Images)

...But a smaller cushion going forward(02 of65)

The federal contingency fund drops to $1 billion in 2015-16, returning to $3 billion by 2019. (credit:Alamy)

Tax-Free Savings Accounts(03 of65)

As expected, the budget increases the annual contribution limit on TFSAs to $10,000 from $5,500. (credit:The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese)

For households...(04 of65)

The budget extends compassionate-care benefits under the employment insurance system from six weeks to six months for Canadians caring for gravely ill family members. (credit:Getty Images/Westend61)

For seniors...(05 of65)

The budget changes the rules governing registered retirement income funds, or RRIFs, to allow seniors to preserve their retirement nest eggs for longer. (credit:Getty Images)

For small business...(06 of65)

The small business tax rate drops from 11 per cent to 9 per cent by 2019. (credit:Getty)

For the auto industry...(07 of65)

The budget provides up to $100 million over five years to foster innovation among Canadian automotive parts suppliers. (credit:The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

Cash from GM stock sale(08 of65)

The sale of the government's General Motors shares, purchased in 2009 as part of an effort to help the auto industry weather the storm in the wake of the 2008 recession, generated a net gain of $2.1 billion. (credit:Getty)

The Military(09 of65)

The 2015 budget provides an additional $11.8 billion for the Canadian military over 10 years, starting in 2017.It also provides up to $360.3 million for the extended and expanded mission against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and $7.1 million for the recently announced military training mission in Ukraine.Plus, $23 million over four years to upgrade security at Canada's military bases. (credit:The Canadian Press)

National security(10 of65)

The budget provides $292.6 million over five years for the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to fight terrorism and enforce the government's new anti-terror law.It also provides $12.5 million over five years, followed by an additional $2.5 million a year, for the Security Intelligence Review Committee, which oversees CSIS. (credit:The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Parliament Hill security(11 of65)

The budget provides $60.4 million over three years to buttress Parliament Hill security, $27 million over give years for tighter security at federal court and registry offices, and $10 million over five years for Ottawa police. (credit:Getty Images)

Cybersecurity(12 of65)

The budget provides $58 million over five years to better protect computer networks and critical infrastructure against cyberattacks, and $36.4 million over five years to address cybersecurity threats. (credit:Shutterstock)

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