VANCOUVER – Premier Gordon Campbell must be up front about the credentials of his newly appointed top bureaucrat on climate change, New Democrat Environment Critic Shane Simpson said today.

“Gordon Campbell has made Graham Whitmarsh the government’s lead person on the climate change file without explaining Mr. Whitmarsh’s credentials for the job,” said Simpson, the MLA for Vancouver -- Hastings. “This is an important post and British Columbians need to have confidence in the person entrusted to carry out this work.

“Mr. Whitmarsh may have fine credentials in his own field but we have little knowledge of his background for this task. The Premier’s secrecy is undermining the public trust.”

Whitmarsh was appointed Associate Deputy Minister to the Climate Action Secretariat last week.

“The Premier can’t be tight-lipped on the work of this committee or the person at its helm. This is an important position – one that needs someone with strong experience in the field of climate change, but we have no sense of whether Mr. Whitmarsh has the necessary credentials” said Simpson.

Simpson added that the work and meetings of the new Climate Change Secretariat are also off limits to the public.

“The Premier is keeping too many secrets,” said Simpson. “He is trying to paint himself as the champion on climate change, yet he refuses to share his agenda with the public. When everything surrounding this important issue is a secret, how can British Columbians trust that the Premier is really committed to change?

“Gordon Campbell continues to support offshore oil and gas exploration, and appears to be waffling on his commitment to end conventional coal fired power,” said Simpson. “Clearly his actions have little in common with his rhetoric on climate change.”

Simpson said it is time for the Premier to move away from photo ops and onto the real business of setting strong environmental targets and enforcing them. “It is time the Premier let the public in on exactly what his government is planning. And he can start with revealing the credentials of the person he has put in charge of this important file.”