Liberal government shows contempt for the right of Canadians to choose the direction of our nation.
The Liberal government is seeking to block the Canadian people from being able to ever get rid of the carbon tax.
And they are also seeking to lock in price increases – increases they once said would never happen.
According to the Financial Post, “Last month, Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of natural resources, told a crowd in downtown Toronto, that the federal Liberals plan to introduce a policy to ensure carbon pricing not only remains in place through at least 2030, but also ramps up during that time, from $50 per tonne to $170 per tonne.”
The idea is to raise the cost of cancelling the tax to such a level that it becomes untenable:
“He said that his government is actively studying “carbon contracts for differences” — a policy under which businesses that invest money to reduce carbon emissions will be eligible to receive compensation if carbon pricing is either eliminated or reduced. While Wilkinson declined to offer a timeline, he mentioned a policy paper that cited the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Egypt, which begins on Nov. 6, as an “ideal” moment to introduce such legislation.”
The move is being supported by groups who think the carbon tax isn’t high enough – even as Canadians are being crushed by the rising cost-of-living:
“The carbon price is not high enough to drive investment in a lot of the carbon reduction projects that we need,” said MacDougall. “I think the certainty piece is just another part of that.”
Certainty? More like contempt for democracy.
One of the main strengths of democracy is that it allows ideas to be put in place, tested, and removed if necessary.
Aside from our rights and freedoms – which should be ironclad and protected regardless of who is in office – governments should not be able to stop future governments from overturning their policies.
Should a Conservative government be able to lock in tax cuts or spending changes forever?
Of course not.
Even if we agree with a policy, we can understand why a future elected government should be able to change or repeal it.
Democracy has no meaning if our votes can’t lead to actual policy changes.
So, while the Liberals claim they are talking about ‘certainty’ by locking in the carbon tax, they are really talking about total contempt for democracy.
Spencer Fernando
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