Lead climate change advocate in Senate billed $16,778 for flights

In a statement released on Feb. 6 Coyle wrote, “We inch closer and closer to irreversible damage. There is a need to act now and to take bold steps in addressing this crisis.”

Coyle was appointed by the Trudeau government to the Senate in 2017 after serving as the vice president at St. Francis Xavier University. Her total bill came to $16,778 for air travel. Thousands of the kilometers traveled were for events which were listed as business meetings.

Executive assistant Lili-Anne Delage Larson said, “Senator Coyle is very conscious of the effect of Senate travel on greenhouse gas emissions and as a result limits her travel when possible.”

A Notice of Inquiry was sponsored by Coyle to show a necessity to “reverse human-caused climate change to ensure a healthy planet”.

“We have ten years to quickly steer ourselves onto the right pathways,” Coyle said to the Senate. “In order to do this, we will need everyone on board moving in the same direction. We need to be bold, smart, innovative, wise, fair, inclusive and collaborative.”

“Let us be inspired by the wise Iroquoian principle that decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future.”

“I am extending an open hand to invite each of you to join in the inquiry and demonstrate to all Canadians and our global neighbours our interest and commitment.”

From September to November 2019, Coyle made multiple flights for “business meetings.” She flew to St. John’s and made a trip to Ottawa when Parliament wasn’t in session.

Coyle has pushed Canadians to take responsibility for their actions to reduce greenhouse emissions.

On Feb. 12, she tweeted “Time to come together on a global green new deal.”

“Our children and grandchildren are already judging our inaction,” Coyle wrote on February 12. “As they witness the damage to the earth and live through catastrophic weather events in their own hometowns, they are telling our country’s leaders that our house is on fire and something urgently needs to be done.”

In the Feb. 6 statement, Coyle wrote, “What is needed is a willingness to be bold and take decisive action in every sector and every facet of Canadian life.”

“Action may not be easy and our path may not be linear, but we are far past the time for debate on the merits of action versus inaction. All Canadians can be leaders in this challenge of the millennium.”

“We the Senate of Canada have a tremendous opportunity to take a leadership role in examining and influencing action on the defining issue of this century, climate change.”

“We have a duty to serve the public good of all Canadians.”