Former Liberal MP appointed Ontario climate change adviser

TORONTO - Former Liberal MP John Godfrey has been appointed a special adviser to the Ontario government on climate change.

As adviser and chair of a climate action group, Godfrey will report to Environment Minister Glen Murray on ways for Ontario to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Ontario is in the midst of a 45-day public consultation period on climate change, as it weighs whether to implement a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax.

The government says the discussion paper will inform its decision -- expected to come this spring -- on which carbon pricing mechanism to adopt.

The Liberal government committed to carbon pricing in 2008 when it signed the Western Climate Initiative with California and Quebec, which have since created a joint cap-and-trade system.

Godfrey served as a Liberal MP for Don Valley West from 1993 to 2008 and most recently was the headmaster at Toronto French School.