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NDP leadership candidate Avi Lewis says Canada cannot keep increasing fossil fuel production, likening the practice to an "addiction." Lewis, during a panel discussion on Friday with his main competitors in the race, labour leader Rob Ashton and Edmonton MP Heather McPherson, attempted to distinguish himself by telling the crowd that he would not support further expansion of natural gas, oil or coal in Canada. "We need really straightforward policies that distinguish ourselves from the federal Liberals," Lewis said. "We cannot keep increasing fossil fuel production in this country." He said the federal NDP must "be able to have disagreements" with its provincial counterparts. Lewis later added that there are "safe forms" of generating energy "that actually looks to the 21st century." And he likened society's relationship to fossil fuels to an addiction that he said was fuelled by greed. "[Fossil fuel addiction] is as much an addiction to the revenues from fossil fuels from provincial and federal governments as it is an addiction to the substance itself." Lewis noted that scientists have long said that burning fossil fuels is accelerating global warming. "Fossil fuels — coal, oil and gas — are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for around 68 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions," the United Nations states. McPherson, an MP from an oil-producing province, didn't disagree with Lewis on stage. But she later dismissed his comments as old news. "That's been in the policy of the NDP since Jack Layton," McPherson told reporters. "There's nothing really there that's new." The NDP's 2021 policy book doesn't say the party is committed to limiting the expansion of fossil fuel production. It does, however, commit New Democrats to ending Ottawa's support for fossil fuel subsidies as Layton (humorously) called for in 2003. But the last two federal NDP leaders, Thomas Mulcair and Jagmeet Singh, struggled to communicate this policy. Mulcair had enthusiastically called a west-to-east oil pipeline a "win-win." The policy position also places the federal NDP in conflict with its wings in fossil fuel-producing provinces like Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. McPherson said she's focused on an employment strategy for young people to work in trades, arts and culture, health care, child care and in green jobs through a Youth Climate Corps. McPherson also mentioned her plans to back high-speed rail, retrofitting homes and old buildings, nation-building projects and what she called "a clean energy corridor" that could include an east-to-west electricity grid. Ashton also spoke during the panel discussion about the need to expand renewable energy, specifically wind power. "Those windmills should be built here, by the way, and not import them from other countries," he said. "We should be putting them up 100 per cent with union jobs." Reporters asked Ashton about his views on expanding fossil fuel production. "Fossil fuels in this country feed a lot of families," Ashton said. "And before there's any type of expansion, or before I can say, yay or nay on it, we have to look at the projects. We have to make sure they are done with free, prior and informed consent with Indigenous nations." He added the party needs to look at the environmental impacts of such resource development, but ultimately, Canada needs to focus on growing the economy while reducing emissions. "We have to come up with ideas that enhance a green economy that puts good unionized jobs into play, that pay as much as a mine, that pay as much as an oil field [job]," he said. "Because if we don't replace good union paying jobs that support families with the same type of job in a green economy, there's still going to be a lot of pushback from people." The three candidates were on stage for a panel at the annual Mouseland Gala in Ottawa hosted by the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation. It was moderated by Jordan Leichnitz who is a frequent panellist of CBC's Power and Politics. The two other official candidates in the race, Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail, submitted video remarks.
