Liberals sharpen climate change attack on Tories

Federal Liberals swiftly adopted a new attack strategy today against the Conservative party's stance on climate change.

Over the weekend, delegates to the Conservative policy convention voted against a motion explicitly adding the line "climate change is real” to the party’s official policy declaration.

The existing document does discuss curbing greenhouse gas emissions but does not specifically acknowledge the existence of climate change.

Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan jumped on the vote at a House of Commons committee appearance today, demanding Conservative MPs express their position on climate change before answering questions they had for him.

It is the kind of political fallout Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole warned about in his speech to the convention Friday, a day before the vote.

He warned delegates that unless they stop debating the existence of climate change, Tory candidates will suffer in the next election.