Prominant Potential Liberal Abandoning Stephane Dion Because of Federal Carbon Tax Plans

From the Vancouver Sun

Michael Byers, a prominent University of B.C. professor and climate-change policy critic, said Wednesday he will seek the federal NDP nomination in Vancouver Centre.

The Liberal party immediately said Byers had already been in discussions to run as a Liberal in another riding.

But Byers said the NDP position on the environment prompted his decision to run as a New Democrat.

Professor Michael Byers holds a press conference Wednesday at English Bay Beach to announce his intention to seek the Federal NDP nomination in Vancouver Centre.

A frequent media commentator and author on international affairs, he is the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at UBC, where he also serves as a faculty member at the Liu Institute for Global Issues. He wrote a recent book on climate change in the Arctic.

Byers will be trying to unseat long-time Liberal MP Hedy Fry. He took several shots at the Liberals on Wednesday, including criticizing the recent proposal on climate change policies by party leader Stephane Dion.

"Stephane Dion is trying to force Canadians to change their behaviour," Byers said, referring to the Liberal leader's Green Shift plan.

But less than two weeks ago, Byers said, he was in conversation with the federal Liberals about running for them. The Liberals' B.C. campaign co-chair said Wednesday Byers told him the party "needed him to help and sell [Dion's] Green Shift proposal to Canadians."

Bruce Young said Byers was "clearly interested" in running for the Liberal West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky riding, and that the two met several times to discuss his candidacy. The professor also had a meeting with Stephane Dion in May. Young also said Byers lost interest when he realized he'd have to fight for the nomination.

"He wanted us to remove any competition [for the nomination] and we weren't prepared to ask people to step aside," he said.

"We weren't going to hand it to him on a silver platter so he went to a riding that would. . . . The NDP is his second choice."

In an interview with The Vancouver Sun, Byers defended the discussions with the Liberals, saying he was approached and that he "would meet with Stephen Harper if he asked me to."

"Mr. Dion met me one on one and told me that he wanted me to run," he said.

"I studied Green Shift and concluded that it was the wrong plan at the wrong time. The NDP is my first choice."

Young suggested that it would have been a stretch for Byers to secure the nomination in a riding some distance from his home.

"It's not reasonable for people to think that the Liberal Party of Canada would recruit someone to represent the people of Pemberton, Pender Harbour and Powell River who lives and works in Point Grey," Young said.

Fry said she'll welcome the competition if Byers wins the NDP nomination.