Ottawa's "green infrastructure fund"

As part of their attempt to cling onto power, the Harper conservatives have been leaking budget details over the last week or so in order to pressure waffling liberals, including leader Michael Ignatieff, into supporting Harper's budget. Environment Minister John Baird, leaked details about what even the Star is calling a "so-called" green infrastructure fund.

Environmental reviews could be trimmed

The federal budget will include $1 billion for renewable energy, but the government has also signalled it wants to break down environmental roadblocks that stand in the way of a speedy economic recovery.

A so-called green infrastructure fund, part of $7 billion in stimulus funds that were revealed yesterday, is intended to spur the creation of clean energy infrastructure in the country, Infrastructure Minister John Baird says.

More to follow tomorrow after the details are released (or will they?). A couple of questions come to mind.

1) Carbon capture. Is this what they mean by "infrastructure"? Putting all the eggs into unproven and risky technology that will allow industry to continue to expand production of greenhouse gases.

2) "Environmental roadblocks." Code for even more deregulation.

3) Renewable energy. How much of this fund will actually be earmarked for solar, wind and geothermal?

4) Matching funds. How will strapped municipalities finance either green or non-green infrastructure funding?

5) How well can anyone do something that they don't believe in and have opposed their entire lives? This is the new, rebranded conservatives. There's always a catch.

Stay tuned.