A lump of clean coal in your stocking

Fissures between the federal Liberals and their Ontario counterparts are always fun to explore. At this time of year, what’s more fun to watch than a dysfunctional family?

At Queen’s Park, the provincial Liberals have been deriding the Ontario Conservatives for embracing “clean coal” as an energy source for the future.

Provincial Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, an almost lifelong confidante of Prime Minister Paul Martin’s family in Windsor, has called the Tories “Neanderthals” for supporting clean coal.

Alas, Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan’s 30-page campaign platform for Alberta also touts clean coal and boasts how Ottawa is helping that province move forward with the technology.

As the political observer who passed this along to us quipped Tuesday: “Wonder if Dwight is going to show up in a Fred Flintsone costume and say to Paul - ‘yabba dabba do-n’t do clean coal!’”