Dear Editor;
Listening to the Conservative rhetoric these days, you’d think M. Dion’s carbon tax would make the sky to fall. Compare this reaction to how cabinet ministers reacted to Gordon Campbell’s BC carbon tax and you will see a major discrepancy:
Stephen Harper said, “Contrary to some commentary, the national plan and British Columbia’s plan complement each other.” The “mother of all taxes” is “complementary” to Mr. Harper’s undisclosed plan?
John Baird said, “British Columbia is a province that takes the climate change issue seriously, and have moved forward with a variety of initiatives.’’ He added, “I don’t have a problem with that at all. We’ve chosen a different path in this regard, but that’s fine.”
That’s fine?
And Gary Lunn chipped in, “British Columbia may have a different model. It’s working, and we’ll recognize their contributions, as well.”
Having last week dismissed the parliamentary motion calling on the government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 it is hardly surprising that the Harper government is trashing the carbon remedy most often supported by economists, business people, and environmentalists. But it is clear that their abhorrence is rooted in politics rather than reason.
Caspar Davis
Victoria, BC