It’s actually very easy to put together a great plan.
The Trudeau Liberals – along with their allies in much of the establishment media – are trying to score political points by attacking the Conservatives for supposedly not having a ‘climate plan.’
While the Conservatives will probably unveil something comprehensive later on, it would actually be quite easy to neutralize the Liberals and in fact bring in a ‘climate plan’ that is far better for the future of the country.
Here are five key ideas for a Conservative Canadian Climate Plan:
1 – Focus on technology as the solution, instead of tax hikes and extreme regulation. All major improvements in the environment have been based on technological advancements. More advanced technology allows people to be more environmentally friendly while also saving money. By promising to invest in a substantial, made-in-Canada technological innovation plan, the Conservatives can offer the hope of creating more jobs in Canada while supporting environmental innovation. Additionally, make it clear that technology – instead of taxes – will be best for the Canadian environment.
2 – Apply tougher regulations to foreign energy and foreign companies. One thing the Trudeau Liberals don’t want anybody to focus on is that while Canadian energy is subjected to an ‘assessment’ of the downstream impacts of its use – that same assessment isn’t applied to foreign energy like Saudi oil. It’s outrageous, and bad for the environment that foreign energy isn’t subjected to that same assessment. It hurts Canadian energy, and it hurts the environment, and it needs to change.
3 – Focus on local solutions. There are already great environmental innovations and policies happening at the local level. Local solutions have been ignored by the Trudeau Liberals, who are instead forcing a one-size fits all carbon tax on provinces. Instead of a carbon tax, the Conservatives should bring attention to what is already being done locally, and offer support to local and provincial efforts, instead of dictating from the top-down. Local innovation allows for experimentation and wins better support from the public, because local communities have control.
4 – Help bring attention to how Canada is already an environmental leader. The Trudeau Liberals keep saying Canada has to ‘do our part’ for the environment, yet they seem to think that ‘doing our part’ means hitting Canadians with a carbon tax and hurting our energy industry. However, the fact is that Canada already has among the toughest environmental regulations in the world. The labour standards and environmental protections in our Canadian energy industry lead the world, and that was in place long before the Liberals were in power. The Conservatives should bring attention to this reality, because Canada is already a ‘climate leader’ and we don’t need a carbon tax to do it.
5 – Ensure that our Canadian Climate Plan is written by Canadians, for Canadians. With the growing revelations that U.S. billionaires have been working to wipe out Canada’s energy industry and interfere in our elections, it is essential that a Climate Plan is truly written by and for Canadians. The Conservatives must block foreign organizations from giving money to ‘Canadian’ activist front groups, and must protect Canadian industries from the influence of U.S. billionaires and other foreign institutions that want to dictate our choices as Canadians.
To recap, here are the 5 key ideas for a Conservative Climate Plan:
Focus on technology as the solution, instead of tax hikes and extreme regulation.
Apply tougher regulations to foreign energy and foreign companies.
Focus on local solutions.
Help bring attention to how Canada is already an environmental leader.
Ensure that a Canadian Climate Plan is written by Canadians, for Canadians.
By focusing on those 5 core areas, the Conservatives can turn the focus around, and put the Liberals on the defensive when it comes to the climate. After all, if Canada is already a climate leader, if local solutions are flourishing, and if supporting technological innovation like advancing Carbon Capture & Storage is the answer, then the Liberals will be forced to explain why they’re imposing a new tax and hurting our environmentally-friendly Canadian energy industry.
At the end of the day, it’s the Liberals, not the Conservatives, who are failing Canadians when it comes to the climate.
Spencer Fernando
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