Preston Manning's changing climate and some right wing bashing...

I was as surprised as the National Post's Peter Foster.

Last week, Preston Manning teamed up with the CEO of a "green" investment company, Andrew Heintzman, to deliver a piece of writing all too rare a sight to the eyes that commonly scan the pages of the National Post. Their editorial, 'Our (quality of) life depends on it', is an all-encompassing argument for investment in renewable technologies and the need for Canada to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

To those of us who regularly wander through the pages of environmentally progressive newspieces and blogs, this kind of story is nothing new: Canada needs more renewables; the oil sands are bad; market-based instruments and government intervention is needed; Canada can harness all of this and benefit economically. But two things make this editorial stand out.

First, it appears in the National Post. The National Post is widely considered to be the more conservative of Canada's national newspapers and its columnists and guest editorialists are frequently known to bash government intervention and environmentalism at any chance they get. Some might even say the paper -- which is currently in dire financial straits -- is one of last relatively reputable safehouses for those who still believe anthropogenic climate change is a hoax.

Secondly, it was co-authored by Preston Manning. His involvement in the piece might be the only reason the National Post published it. Many of us, myself included, might be too young to remember Preston Manning in the public spotlight. My main recollection was that he reminded me a lot of Mr. Rogers and while watching the news or election coverage, my parents would continue to remind me that he and his buddies are on the bad team.

Well, for those of us with a more progressive view, Preston Manning and his buddies -- The Reform Party -- were the bad team. The party evolved throughout the late 1980s and had even gained the position of the Official Opposition in the late 1990s, although much of its strength lay in Western Canada and the Prairies, which continue to be a conservative stronghold. The party was often seen as an extremist right-wing party, advocating for everything from prohibiting abortions, taking a stance against homosexuals and other intolerant views to reducing the role of government and significantly cutting taxes. Its members were incredibly controversial, often referred to as xenophobes, homophobes and racists. Quite simply, these were not the folks preaching environmental protection, especially if the government were involved. (Thank goodness for Google).

But Manning was slightly out of tilt with the rest of his former party. He wasn't quite as intolerant as some of his fellow members and was quite the pragmatist. One elder family member of mine -- a well-entrenched left-winger -- told me Manning was much smarter than the rest of his party and, just as my Mr. Rogers comparison foresaw, was someone you would picture as your kind neighbour you talked with over the fence.

That being said, the former leader of one of Canada's most right-wing federal parties calling for government investment in renewables and the establishment of a price-setting cap-and-trade system is out of this world.

The National Post faithful were quick to fight back. Peter Foster wrote a scathing commentary titled, 'Manning turns to the dark side', that included the typical bashing of governmental intervention and price-setting policies, as well as the word 'wonk' -- in reference to people looking to combat climate change from the less conservative side of things -- more times than I've ever seen.

Another letter to the editor ended with a simple statement, "Preston, clearly, we hardly knew ye."

But Preston is doing more than writing in the Post. He is also an active member of the Steering Committee for the rapidly growing Sustainable Prosperity. Foster, unsurprisingly dismisses the group, its tag line being 'making markets work for the environment', as a "lobby for radical environmentalism."

But it is nice to know that even the most conservative, anti-government of folks can look beyond partisan ideologies to see what is probably much better for us. Even if they have to take a bit of heat from their former brethren.