Canada's Dion Says He'll Honor Kyoto

TORONTO -- The new leader of Canada's Liberal Party pledged Sunday to honor the country's commitment to the Kyoto protocol if he unseats Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper in an election expected next year.

Stephane Dion reiterated his commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions in his first news conference since winning the leadership of the Liberal party, which ruled Canada for most of the last century but was ousted by the Conservatives in elections earlier this year.

Dion, who was environment minister under former Prime Minister Paul Martin, is a strong supporter of the Kyoto Protocol _ even naming his dog Kyoto.

Harper's government _ which draws most of its support from oil-rich Alberta and the west _ has been criticized for effectively pulling out of the protocol, which requires 35 industrialized countries to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and five other gases that act like a greenhouse trapping heat in the atmosphere.

"Not only will we honor our commitment but we will strengthen our economy with more energy capacity, more recycling than waste," Dion said. "We'll have the best plan for energy and climate change that we've ever had."

Under the Kyoto accord, Canada pledged to cut its emissions by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. But the country's emissions are now more than 30 percent above 1990 levels. Conservatives say emissions increased during Dion's stint as environment minister.

Dion said he would work to make Alberta's massive oil sands projects _ a growing source of the emissions _ more environmentally friendly.

"We will not kill the industry. We'll make the industry sustainable," Dion said.

Dion was a surprise winner in Saturday's party election. The academic-turned-politician won nearly 55 percent in the fourth round of balloting after several of the losing candidates in previous rounds threw their support behind him.

In January elections, Harper's Conservatives unseated the Liberals after nearly 13 years in power. The stunning defeat left the party flailing and looking to rebuild itself in time to take back the House of Commons in the next elections, expected in 2007.

The Conservatives have a tenuous hold on power because they have a minority government.

Dion was part of the team of Liberals under former Prime Minister Jean Chretien who opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and turned down Washington's request to join. He also has attacked Harper for "blindly" committing Canadian Forces to Afghanistan until 2009. Some 2,300 Canadian troops are helping other NATO forces fight the Taliban in Afghanistan's south.

Dion is from Quebec, but he faced a barrage of questions on Sunday about his ability to win votes there. He has been vilified in many Quebec circles for his tough stance on national unity and for being the architect of the Clarity Act, which sets out the terms for any future referendum on sovereignty in the province.

Dion said he will win Quebec by reinforcing the value of staying within Canada, "inviting Quebecers to share the same vision, the same dream, the same action plan as all other Canadians."

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