“Stephane, we didn’t get it done … we didn’t get it done … and we have to get it done!” ~ Michael Grant Ignatieff :
Stephane Dion is again musing about a carbon tax. During his bid for the Liberal leadership in 2006, he called it “bad policy.” Then, last spring, he suggested a carbon tax was a good policy, but not so good that the Liberals should adopt it. Now, Mr. Dion appears to be saying that a carbon tax may be the right policy for the Liberals after all. His most recent flip flop could not come at a better time for the Conservatives. With high gas prices already enraging consumers, Mr. Dion’s idea will be suicidal at the polls.
Borat Dion on the wrong side again.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080513/strategic_counsel_poll_080513/20080513?hub=TopStories
If the Conservatives had proposed a higher tax at this time CBCpravda or CTV(tass) would be all over them like fatboys on a twinkie.
Jim, Dion’s carbon tax talk is directly related to Kyoto.It is not terribly difficult to connect the dots. The Liberals signed Kyoto and committed us to impossible targets. They then did nothing to try and meet those targets. So now Canada is unable to comply. No problem, the agreement has just the solution. We can buy our way out of our obligations.
Uh,oh…the CPC, by reducing taxes and the GST, has given the surplus back to the taxpayer. The Liberals need a new cash cow. In comes the carbon tax idea with assurances that it will be revenue neutral (wink,wink). It just amazes me that people still fall for the same old tricks.
Regardless of ones position on the virtues of becoming less carbon reliant, this Liberal tax will go where all Liberal money goes – to buy votes, enrich their friends and family, redistribute in the name of social justice while taking a large cut for themselves and the bureaucracy. Only this time the UN and developing world will also get their share of the Canadian social justice initiative. All paid for courtesy of the gullible Canadian taxpayer distracted and duped by yet another Noble Goal.
Jim: “Again, I wouldn’t trust Dion’s promise to make such a tax revenue neutral, but that doesn’t make the basic concept wrong.”
Jim, concepts don’t pay down a single cent of debt or reduce a single molecule of CO2. The practical aspects of carbon taxes are simple – will they change behaviour (I think not), but more importantly, will these funds be used for research and actual development of carbon-alternative fuel sources that can actually be effective for use in modern economy such as Canada’s. Again, I think not; in fact, I haven’t heard a peep about alternative energy technology development from Dion (except his pie in the sky megatonnes of money remarks).
That’s is why I’m against them – they’re just another tax that goes into general revenues, and like just about any tax, reduce consumption by dampening economic activity, with no new energy technology development.
Greenneck. Are you sure about your facts? I heard someone on the radio who talked like he knew what what was what and he said the patch they found in Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Montana is huge and unlike the tarsands easily obtained. He stated there’s tons of oil but the oil companies are deliberately keeping refining low to boost prices.
Perkunas,
You talk about the Bakken oil field. I’m aware of it, it is estimated at about 3.65 billion barrels. Nothing to sneeze at. Only thing is, this would supply the US for about 6 months and the world for about 6 weeks.
As for the oil companies driving the price, they only control about 20-25% of the total market. The rest is produced by state-owned companies like Saudi Aramco, Statoil, and Lukoil. I doubt so many instances could all manage to collude to drive up prices.