The city will hold off from calling on the federal government to take action on climate change.

At Monday evening's city council meeting, with the exception of Coun. Dave Stockdale, members voted to defer a decision on a motion urging Ottawa to adopt carbon emission targets and take on a leadership role in the International Climate Change Treaty next month in Copenhagen.

"I'm glad they're going to continue talking about it,” Ken Madsen said outside council chambers following the vote.

Madsen, along with federal Green Party candidate John Streicker, made a presentation to council early in the meeting. They asked members to support the motion, arguing that Canada isn't living up to current obligations on climate change, an issue that's critical for the future. They were also joined by another 14 supporters in the gallery.

"I think the council is in general agreement that it's good to send a strong message to the Canadian government, at least that's what I read in their comments. And I can sympathize with the difficulty in the final paragraph,” Madsen said after the meeting. He added he hopes the city doesn't completely get rid of that part of the amendment.

The final paragraph of the motion, would have seen the city urge Ottawa "to sign on to and ratify the International Climate Change Treaty that will be negotiated in Copenhagen in December 2009.”

With the treaty not yet drafted nor agreed to, there was a general reluctance by most council members to sign off on that part of the motion.

"My challenge here is the fact that there's a request to sign something and we don't know what it is,” Coun. Ranj Pillai said following Streicker's and Madsen's presentation.

Pillai said he understands the process that will see the document drafted around the negotiations in December and agrees with the cause. However, he also questions whether it would be responsible to vote in favour of it while not knowing the wording of the proposed treaty.

His concerns echoed similar thoughts vocalized by councillors Dave Austin, Florence Roberts, Betty Irwin and Doug Graham and Mayor Bev Buckway.

Graham noted it's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't.” If council members vote in favour of it, they don't know what they are urging the federal government to sign. If they don't, it appears they don't believe in the cause.

The argument then turned into a question of process as Graham took issue with how Stockdale had brought it forward.

"You didn't provide council with any way of discussing it before it came forth in a motion like this,” Graham told Stockdale.

"I sometimes wonder if you really want us to pass it or if you just want us to maybe defeat it to make other people look bad. We have to have some ability to discuss these things rather than in a restricted environment like this.”

Graham argued that had it come forward in another manner, council could have come up with a good motion that all members may have supported without any disagreement.

Stockdale later defended his actions, arguing many motions have come forward in the same manner.

"If now we have to discuss it before we can even put a motion forward and amend it before it even comes forward, I don't think that's the way we do business,” he said. The Municipal Act would have to be changed for that to happen, Stockdale added.

"Many motions have come to this floor that have been amended and voted on on a moment's notice,” he said. "I gave you this motion a week ahead.

To me, I don't read a fantastic amount on this stuff, but I think everybody is aware of climate change and the implications.”

Stockdale acknowledged he was a "little remiss” in getting some information to other council members between last week and earlier Monday. He also noted that he had told Buckway last week that Streicker and Madsen would be making a presentation on it. He also forwarded some written information to other councillors earlier yesterday.

"I know it's short notice, but it's there,” he said.

While Stockdale brought the motion forward, it had originally come from Madsen and his son, Malcolm Boothroyd, who asked the councillor to get it on the agenda.

Recognizing though that wording of the last paragraph could be a problem for council, he proposed an amendment that the final paragraph be rewritten to read that the city "urge the Government of Canada to recognize that we can't afford not to take responsible action on climate change and that we expect them to work for us and the rest of the world in Copenhagen in December 2009.”

The amendment was carried, but then ended in confusion when Roberts said she had thought the new wording was replacing the last two paragraphs.

"If you want a reason why it shouldn't be done this way, just listen to the discussion that just happened,” Graham then commented.

"Throw it out. Let's bring back a motion next week or the week after that we can all agree with, that meets the intent of the motion. But let's do it right, rather than haphazardly, and wind up doing something that makes us look like a bunch of, more like a bunch of idiots.”

Austin brought forward the formal motion that it then be deferred until Nov. 23. Stockdale warned that move would be a mistake because if anything similar happens in the future, he plans to vote for deferral.

As Pillai pointed out, giving it another two weeks will mean the issue will see even more discussion than it may have otherwise.

Madsen believes council is taking the matter seriously and expects local residents will notice if a new proposed motion becomes "too watered-down.”

"I trust that they will be reasonable and there is plenty of expertise within the community if they want,” he said, noting he will likely be back in council chambers on Nov. 23 for the vote.