The long-awaited conclusion to a chapter in Canada's role in the Kyoto protocol came Tuesday when the House of Commons voted in favour of ratifying the deal.

With the support of the NDP and the Bloc Québécois, the Prime Minister's wish to have Parliament ratify the agreement to slash greenhouse gas emissions by Christmas looks as thought it will likely come true.

The vote passed 195 to 77.

Focus shifts to Kyoto implementation  

See also our backgrounder on the Kyoto Protocol

There had been little doubt that the Kyoto would not pass because Prime Minister Jean Chrétien had indicated that it was considered a confidence motion — meaning all Liberal MPs are required to vote in favour of it or risk consequences.

However, around a dozen Liberal MPs did not attend the vote.

Backbench MP Roger Galloway, from Sarnia, Ont., announced earlier Tuesday he would abstain from the vote because he said he cannot support a deal which could possibly be harmful to Sarnia's petrochemical industry.

Paul Martin, who had earlier been anticipated to vote against the ratification because he feels there needs to be more debate on the matter, voted alongside the government.

But he said Tuesday that he hopes that the Liberals will proceed quickly with the implementation of the plan so that the provinces can be assured that none of them will be unduly harmed by the agreement.

Alberta Liberal MP Anne McLellan also voted with the agreement. She has said she has fears that her province may be compromised by the protocol because it may harm industry.

As anticipated, the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives voted against the deal.

The two parties are concerned that the economic impact requiring industries to reduce harmful emissions will be dramatic.

Before the ratification vote, the Commons also voted down a Canadian Alliance subamendment from the Canadian Alliance asking that the government not implement the protocol until it can establish all of the costs involved.

Meanwhile Tuesday, an umbrella of 40 Canadian business groups called the Canadian Coalition for Responsible Environmental Solutions said Tuesday's vote on the motion to ratify the Kyoto Protocol leaves many questions unanswered.

"By ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, the government has decided to commit Canadians without the benefit of a detailed game plan or any clear sense of the cost to the country," Nancy Hughes Anthony, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and a coalition member, said in a news release.

"Ratification does not end the uncertainty for Canadian business, consumers or investors."

Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, called on the federal government to work collaboratively with the provinces and industry to ensure that the economy is not damaged.

"As we move forward, the federal government must focus on creating a collaborative process that will allow us to deal with climate change without inflicting serious damage on our economy or exacerbating the regional divisions within Canada," Mr. Beatty said in a news release.

Greenpeace Canada congratulated the House of Commons on its vote Tuesday.

"This is a proud day for Canada, the federal government, and Greenpeace, who has been pushing for Kyoto ratification for several years," Steven Guilbeault, climate campaigner for Greenpeace, said in a news release.

"Kyoto will lead to greater efficiency in our homes, our transportation systems, and our economy in general."

Greenpeace cautioned that the implementation plan not be too lenient on industrial polluters.

"Big industrial emitters represent more than 50 per cent of our domestic emissions," Mr. Guilbeault said. "It is unreasonable to make individual consumers pay for their pollution."

The Kyoto accord would require Canadian businesses to reduce emissions by 55 megatonnes, or 23 per cent of this country's 240-megatonne target for reductions, at a cost of billions of dollars. Critics say this will place Canada at a competitive disadvantage to the United States, which has rejected the treaty.

With reports from Allison Lawlor