Betrayal: Erin O’Toole Introduces Carbon Tax Plan, Would Take Your Money, Put It Under The Control Of Bay Street-Run Elitist Consortium, & Have Government Tell You What You’re Allowed To Spend It On

Horrendous.

Erin O’Toole ran as a “True Blue Conservative.”

He repeatedly pledged, over and over and over again, to repeal the carbon tax.

But now, we know he was lying.

Instead, while he claimed to oppose a carbon tax, it turns out that O’Toole was hatching up his own carbon tax plan, a plan which may end up being even more arrogant than the Liberal one.

In short, O’Toole plans to impose a carbon tax, take your money from you and put it into a private-sector consortium, which will then let you use the money to choose from a government-chosen list of approved items with which you can spend it in order to live ‘a greener life.’

Here’s the video of O’Toole’s remarks:

And this how the Party spun it:

Image

Rapid and negative response

Here’s what the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said about it:

“The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is slamming Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole for his proposal to implement a carbon tax, which would break his pledge to repeal carbon taxes.

“It’s outrageous that O’Toole is now planning to hammer Canadians with higher fuel bills through his very own carbon tax,” said Franco Terrazzano, the CTF’s Alberta Director. “When he was running for leader, O’Toole pledged to taxpayers that he would fight carbon taxes. If he goes through with this scheme, he will be breaking his promise to Canadians.”

The CPC is now proposing a carbon of its own, according to a copy of the party’s climate change plan obtained by CBC News. Instead of the rebates, the CPC plan will see tax dollars go into a “personal low carbon savings account” that can be used for “things that help them [Canadians] live a greener life.”

When running for party leader, O’Toole signed a CTF pledge to oppose the federal carbon tax. The pledge said:

“I, Erin O’Toole promise that, if elected Prime Minister of Canada, I will: Immediately repeal the Trudeau carbon tax; and, reject any future national carbon tax or cap-and-trade scheme.”

“The CPC needs to stick up for struggling taxpayers and fight the carbon tax, not backtrack on promises and try to paper over a carbon tax with some kind of O’Toole points scheme,” said Terrazzano. “The carbon tax means real pain for many Canadians and redeeming O’Toole points for solar-powered e-bikes isn’t a real solution.””

The Canadian Taxpayer Federation also Tweeted – after O’Toole’s announcement – that he has broken his promise, and shared a video of him previously slamming the idea of a tax plan:

“Last summer, @erinotoole told us he would repeal carbon taxes. Today, he’s breaking that promise.”

Here’s another video of O’Toole pledging to repeal it:

“Last summer, @erinotoole promised to repeal carbon taxes. He even signed our pledge to get rid of them. It appears he’s changed his mind.”

Also, O’Toole last week had pledged to scrap the carbon tax, another promise he has now betrayed.

O’Toole’s Big Government Plan

With his plan, O’Toole has rejected individual initiative, and is instead putting the government in control:

“We all have a part to play in fighting climate change. Our plan repeals the Liberals’ Carbon Tax and instead helps Canadians save money to live greener.”

Make no mistake, while the money will go to a ‘private consortium,’ that consortium will be chosen by the government, will have a mandate given to them by the government, and will only let you buy things from a government-approved list.

Think about that for a moment.

The supposed ‘conservative’ party believes you shouldn’t get to keep your own money, and believe they should have the right to tax it away from you, then stick it into a seperate account, and then tell you what you can buy with it.

How is any of that conservative?

How is any of that ‘small government’?

Where is the respect for individual choice and freedom?

“Are Conservatives worried that if I get my carbon tax money back that I will spend it on beer & popcorn? Beer

Who decides what’s “green” for my family & millions of others?

This is a carbon tax & this team promised to scrap the carbon tax.

Don’t take my money in the 1st place!”

https://twitter.com/kris_sims/status/1382726008361480192

The only ‘redeeming’ quality of this plan is that it is a lower tax than the Liberals.

But again, while the Liberals issue rebates – which don’t cover the full cost of course – the Conservatives are taking all the money and then locking it away to tell you how to spend it.

It’s the same kind of ‘government-knows best’ approach that the CPC has repeatedly opposed, and which their MPs have been speaking out against for years.

“… and more authoritarian intrusion by the State in people’s personal affairs.

I can’t believe that whoever is involved in this calls themselves conservative.”

“From CPC, their language describes a carbon tax and rebate system. But their policy adds restrictions to consumer choices, implicitly meaning Canadians are not the ones who should be deciding. This is very odd.”

“It’s not just odd. It’s mind-boggling. Here we have a Conservative Party that is willing to implement a revenue-neutral carbon tax as long as the rebates can only be spent on those goods and services approved by the government. Still trying to lift my jaw off my desk.”

To now completely flip and support a carbon tax, and to plan to take your money away and then tell you how you can spend it, is an appalling act of hypocrisy.

And of course, those companies – which will likely be the big Bay Street Banks – won’t manage this for free. We can expect to seem them get even richer with the government putting this in their laps.

CPC in big trouble

The Conservative Party is in big trouble.

O’Toole isn’t resonating with Canadians.

They trail badly in the polls.

And now, this betrayal of previous promises to oppose the carbon tax will demoralize a party base that was already questioning the recent moves of the party.

When I talk about ‘the base,’ I’m not talking about some small sliver of people as the establishment media often likes to portray things. I’m talking about at least 25% of the country, who are the most ardent supporters of reducing the role of government in our lives, reducing taxation, and respecting the right of Canadians to choose how we spend our own money.

That is where the strongest financial and volunteer support for the CPC comes from, and to turn their backs on those voters is not only a foolish move from an electoral perspective, it is also deeply disrespectful to those who keep their party alive.

This is a sad day for Canada, and it is essential for CPC supporters and CPC MPs to speak out against this betrayal and push back against O’Toole’s big government approach.

Canadians deserve to have at least one influential party that stands up for our freedom, and under this current approach the CPC is entirely ceding that ground.

Spencer Fernando

Photo – YouTube

***

Did you find value in this column? If so, your financial support would be greatly appreciated. You can contribute through PayPal, or directly through Stripe. Thank you.


[simpay id=”28904″]