Corner Brook -
Richard Williams of Corner Brook hopes the power of what 1,000 youth in Ottawa tried to accomplish around climate change hasn't shifted.
However, Humber St. Barbe-Baie Verte MP Gerry Byrne says it's not only changed, but the group lost credibility because of its actions.
Williams was one of the registered young Canadians of Power Shift Canada 2009 who took their message of "bold, comprehensive and immediate federal climate action" to Parliament Hill Friday to Monday.
Organized by the Canadian Youth Climate Colation, it featured two days of training, strategy and action, and a mass lobby day to hold elected officials accountable for their part to solve the climate crisis. The goal was to build a cohesive and effective youth climate movement.
However, question period in the House of Commons was shut down Monday when about 120 people took part in a disruptive demonstration inside Parliament.
The protesters rose in small groups and chanted slogans about the lack of government action on climate change, with another new group popping up each time security shut one down. Eventually the entire public gallery was ordered out.
One young woman was seen being dragged down a hallway, yelling that there was "blood on the floor."
Six protesters were detained by Commons security and RCMP officers, but no charges were laid, according to the Speaker's office. Instead, the six have been barred from entering the building for the next year.
Outside, several dozen protesters gathered to denounce both Conservative and Liberal inaction in advance of next month's United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen.
Williams said he didn't see or participate in the demonstrations inside Parliament, and that the incident should be considered separate from the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition and Power Shift. Nonetheless, he says it was effective in its goal of getting their voice heard.
"It is a show of leadership because the issues we are trying to bring forward are not being discussed properly in the federal Parliament," he said. "It did raise awareness and, hopefully, more good than bad will come from this. There was principle behind the act itself and I, personally, feel what was being disrupted with was a noble cause."
Meanwhile Byrne has a different perspective of the events which transpired.
"We have a democratic process, we have a process in place where differing ideas can be debated," Byrne said. "This Power Shift, or whatever this organization was, decided they were more important than Parliament, they were more important than the process, that their voice was going to be heard over other voices ... They displayed an arrogance that, quite frankly, I find disgusting."
During the four days in Ottawa, Williams, the only person from western Newfoundland to attend, said he was able to accomplish a great deal.
"I think, outside of the very unfortunate end to the very last day, I personally had very much co-operation with three members of Parliament from Newfoundland (Judy Foote, Todd Russell and Siobhan Coady) and discussion was very civil before the unfortunate incident that took place," he said. "There was more than 130 separate seminar presentations this weekend alone. There was much information to be had, it was a great experience for me and the other three Newfoundland entrants from the Avalon Peninsula."
Williams said he was understanding of the fact Byrne was too busy that day to meet with the group, but said he hoped to get that opportunity in the future.
However, the long-time Liberal has no plans to do so.
Byrne, who said he agrees with some of the principles proposed by the coalition, said there was no real reason why he didn't meet with them, saying his hunch proved true by their actions inside Parliament.
"Parliamentarians take their responsibilities very seriously and the majority of Parliamentarians reflect the very view I have," he said. "This group decided their voice was more important than anyone else in that chamber, even those who may have supported them.
"Quite frankly, they did serious damage to themselves by attempting to hijack Parliament and did serious damage to whatever cause or efforts they were trying to promote."
