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Regina’s mayor is distancing himself from a decision to remove climate change skeptic Dr. Patrick Moore from the city’s sustainability conference in May.
Shortly after the lineup of speakers was announced, with Moore included, there was an outcry. Some people disagreed with Moore being on the agenda because of his negative views on climate change science.
Moore was eventually removed from the conference, which aims to discuss ways to make the city’s government, administration and operations more sustainable in the years to come.
On Tuesday, Mayor Michael Fougere spoke on Gormley, saying it wasn’t his idea to remove Moore.
“I have never favoured removing him from the conference, and I can’t do it anyway. It’s actually the co-chairs that are responsible for putting the agenda together,” said Fougere, referencing city councillors Joel Murray and Mike O’Donnell.
At the beginning of the outcry, Fougere was asked about it and said it would have to be “looked into.”
When speaking to Gormley, Fougere said that phrasing was unclear, and what he meant was that he wanted the committee to look into what was being said at the conference, not that Moore should be removed.
“I think he makes an interesting conversation,” Fougere said of Moore. “I don’t know if I agree with everything he says but I think the fact he’s on the agenda shows that it will get some attention and that’s what we want to have.”
Fougere said he won’t speak for any other city councillor, but he personally feels that taking Moore off the ticket was a mistake.
“It takes away from the conference itself and moves it away from sustainability into climate change,” Fougere said. “And it could easily overshadow us now that Dr. Moore is speaking the day before. It does cloud the conference and what we do in the future.”
Moore will now be giving his talk in Regina on May 19, the night before the conference starts. Fougere said he’ll be there because he wants to hear what Moore is going to say.
