OTTAWA, Ont. — The federal Industry Minister warned yesterday implementing the Kyoto Protocol could damage industry and Canada’s standard of living.

The Industry Minister followed Jean Chretien and Minister of Natural Resources Herb Dhaliwal in raising doubts about Kyoto.

“I’m concerned about preaching on one hand about us becoming more productive and competitive and, on the other hand, not yet having measured the impact of Kyoto on the economy,” says Rock. “I’m not comfortable until we get some reliable information on that. The decision has to be based on facts, not on ideology and not on theory.”

Environement Minister David Anderson kicked off a cross-Canada tour in Halifax yesterday saying storms, floods and damage to the fishery and forestry industries would be the consequences of not tackling climate warming.

Bob Mills, the Canadian Alliance environment critic, says the mixed signals suggest the ministers have been given an advance look at the economic scenarios of implementing Kyoto.

“Reality is setting in. I think they’re realizing this is going to have a huge wallop on the GDP,” says Mills. “They’ve put themselves in a pretty severe box and don’t know how to get out now.”

Rock says the decision by the Bush administration to not ratify the treaty could hamstring the Canadian economy.

Kyoto requires Canada, between 2008 and 2112, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 6 per cent below 1990 levels. Worst-case estimates peg the cost of Kyoto at 400,000 jobs across Canada.