REGINA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on the federal government to abandon its billion-dollar Kyoto plan.

" Chretien's Kyoto plan is nothing more than hot air," said CTF Saskatchewan Director David MacLean. "This is another gun registry fiasco in the making."

"It reeks of corporate welfare, government largesse, and bureaucratic red tape. And the kicker is that results from all these new government programs can't be measured," added MacLean. "This plan is nothing more than a colossal gift bag of subsidies and grants - at taxpayers' expense."

The government announced the following expenditures aimed at hitting Kyoto targets:

$100 million to expand ethanol development

$45 million public awareness program

$131 million to encourage consumers to choose energy efficient appliances, vehicles, etc

$302 million for business to cut emissions with existing technology

$250 million for business to cut emissions with new technologies

$320 million for partnerships with provinces

Kyoto bills arriving in taxpayer mailboxes

" This plan confirms the results of a CTF-commissioned study that predicted Kyoto will cost the average Canadian household $2,700 per year," said MacLean. "Now that we're finally seeing the plans, our Kyoto cost forecast is looking increasingly modest."

Waiting for Ottawa to explain how new programs will meet targets

The ratification of the protocol means Canada must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent of projected levels by 2012, or 240 megatonnes. The federal government did not indicate how these new programs will meet that target.

"This is just the thin edge of the wedge," said MacLean. "These changes won't even amount to a chemical fraction of Canada's total requirement."

Last December, the CTF delivered 25,000 signed petitions to the Prime Minister's office calling for a referendum on Kyoto ratification.