Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault says United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership candidate Danielle Smith's claims the federal government hired "climate cops" is false.."Responsible leadership should deal in facts, not conspiracy theories," he said on Twitter Wednesday..Guilbeault was responding to a tweet Smith made Sunday, when she questioned whether the Liberal government was hiring Climate Change Enforcement Officers..An Indeed job posting with Environment and Climate Change Canada says the officers will "enforce the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act.”.Guilbeault claimed environment and wildlife officers worked within their communities for decades. "They are hiring to maintain their existing workforce. These roles are not new and they will continue to serve their communities," he said..Environment Canada said enforcement officers have powers and protections as police officers..“They have the authority to issue enforcement actions. In order to work as officers, in addition to their other education/training, they complete 16 weeks of standardized enforcement training and ongoing training to maintain the certifications and skills required for their designations,” the statement said.
