Harper to blame for environment failures: Dion

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion dismissed Stephen Harper's cabinetshuffle Thursday as a "game of musical chairs" that couldn't change the one position that mattered most — the one at the top.

"The problem is the prime minister," Dion said following Harper's introduction of his new cabinet, which included the replacement of beleaguered Environment Minister Rona Ambrose with Treasury Board President John Baird.

Shifting Ambrose out of the environment portfolio has been seen by observers as a move to curb the battering the government has taken over its proposed Clean Air Act and its insistence that it cannot meet the Kyoto accord targets of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

"The prime minister gives the direction,"Dion said, adding Harper's environmental policy has been "an embarrassment to Canada."

"Therefore, the minister of the environment wasn't able to succeed."

Harper acknowledged Thursday following the cabinet shuffle that "Canadians expect a lot more" from the government on the issue of climate change and clean air.

Baird "adversarial" choice

Dion also slammed the choice of Baird — who is known for his aggressive style in the House — as a personality too "outrageous" and "adversarial" to build bridges across parties to reach an accord on the environment.

"It's too important to be partisan," Dion said of the climate change issue, whichwas a key component of his platform in the recent Liberal leadership race.

Dion alsosingled out Health Minister Tony Clement and Status of Women Minister Bev Odaas two ministers he says have failed in their portfolios and should have been replaced.

Quebec, Kyoto not served: Bloc

The Bloc Québécois also dismissed Harper's cabinet changes as not enough to restore Canada's environmental commitments to the world.

"This government's philosophy will lead to the same results, that is nothing concrete in terms of the Kyoto targets," Bloc MP Michel Guimond told reporters following the shuffle.

Under the Tories' proposed Clean Air Act, Ottawa would implement regulations to make industries cut air pollutants by 2010.It also sets a new target for cutting overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The bill, which has passed first reading in the House of Commons, has been sent to a special parliamentary committee for further study.

Guimond also said the appointment of Quebec Conservative MP Christian Paradis as secretary of state for agriculture wasn't a significant gain for the province.

"They're trying to show that Quebec got something out of this shuffle, but this is only a cosmetic change."