Ottawa, ON – While the world meets in Warsaw for the 19^th annual UN Climate Conference, and Filipinos struggle with the devastation of SuperTyphoon Haiyan, and nearly three years to the day of the demise of the Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311) in the Canadian Senate on November 16, 2010, the author and champion of Bill C311 will join 70 Citizen Climate Lobbyists (CCL) at their first national conference in Canada.  Sixteen climate lobbyists from Northern Ontario will be in attendance.

In 2010, Bruce Hyer worked tirelessly to get Bill C311 through the House of Commons, and on May 5, 2010, it was passed by the majority of MPs. But the Climate Accountability Act has the dubious distinction of being the only bill in Canadian history to be passed in the elected House Commons and then killed in the unelected Senate with no debate, committee work, or consideration of any kind.

Bruce Hyer now sits as an independent Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay. He is one of only two MPs in the House of Commons who publically support a tax on carbon pollution. Bruce Hyer will give the closing statements at the conference, and will also take part in the CCL's Press Conference from 2:30 – 3:00 at the Four Points Sheraton – Gatineau  along with:

• Dr. Shi-ling Hsu, Author of The Case for a Carbon Tax,
• Sam Daley-Harris, Founder of the anti-poverty organization RESULTS, currently CEO for the Centre for Citizen Empowerment and Transformation and author of Reclaiming Our Democracy: Healing the Break between People and Government
• Mary Gorman, founding member of Save our Seas and Shores and grand prize winner of the Green Heroes Award.
• Celine Bak, President of Analytica Advisors, co-lead of The Canadian Clean Energy Coalition and recent co-author of an editorial “How we can grow our economy while shrinking our emissions.”

Cathy Orlando, National Manager for Canada’s Citizens Climate Lobby, and Mark Reynolds, Executive Director of Citizens Climate Lobby will also be available for questions.

 Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) is a growing organization of local volunteer groups in Canada and the U.S. that are pressing for progressive climate legislation. CCL began in the U.S. in 2007. Canadian groups became active in September 2010 and conducted their first lobbying sessions on Parliament Hill in November 2011. There are now 141 Citizens Climate Lobby groups North America covering 40 ridings in Canada and almost half of the congressional districts in the U.S. Citizens Climate Lobby uses a model for citizens to create political will that has proven to be successful in Canada and the U.S. by the anti-poverty organization RESULTS. Citizens Climate Lobbyists specifically lobby for Carbon Fee and Dividend which is a revenue neutral carbon tax where 100% of the dividends collected are returned to households. 

WHERE: Four Points Sheraton, Gatineau Quebec, across the street from the Museum of Civilization, 35 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, Quebec.

WHEN: Sunday, November 17; 10:00 am – 12:30 pm for keynote addresses. Media Conference 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm in room Notre Dame B of the conference centre.

MORE INFO: View the agenda of the conference and lobbying days at www.citizensclimatelobby.ca