Steven Guilbeault thinks you do.
As you likely know, I have often written about how Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is among the most ideologically-extreme cabinet ministers Canada has ever had.
Guilbeault has far more in common with the fringes of the NDP or the Green Party than he does with the traditional political establishment – whether Liberal or Conservative.
However, the Liberals have moved so far to the left under Justin Trudeau that radicals like Steven Guilbeault have been elevated to positions of significant power, giving Guilbeault real control over our economy.
This is getting renewed attention, because of some stunning remarks by Guilbeault at a fundraiser reported by the Montreal Gazette.
Guilbeault said the Liberal government has ended funding for new roads in Canada:
“Our government has made the decision to stop investing in new road infrastructure. Of course we will continue to be there for cities, provinces and territories to maintain the existing network, but there will be no more envelopes from the federal government to enlarge the road network. The analysis we have done is that the network is perfectly adequate to respond to the needs we have. And thanks to a mix of investment in active and public transit, and in territorial planning and densification, we can very well achieve our goals of economic, social and human development without more enlargement of the road network.”
The article also notes the Liberals are seeking to “move Canadians out of private cars”:
“Guilbeault noted that about one-quarter of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. While his government supports electrification of vehicles, it has also been investing heavily in other programs and plans to move Canadians out of private cars and onto public transit or active forms of transportation.”
Is this what people really thought they were voting for?
An end to new road construction funding from the federal government and an ideological move to get Canadians out of private cars?
Steven Guilbeault thinks it is, but I don’t think so.
Guilbeault and the Liberals used the old ‘foot-in-the-door’ technique when it came to the climate. They said ‘climate action’ would be painless, with rebates offsetting any impact of the carbon tax and everyone being better off somehow.
In the 2019 election, the Liberals said they wouldn’t raise the carbon tax after 2022. They broke that promise, and now it’s going up every year until 2030. Instead of staying at $50 a tonne, it will reach $170 a tonne.
Further, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that the ‘rebate’ doesn’t make up for the cost of the tax for the majority of Canadians.
And now, Guilbeault and the government are talking about ending all new road funding and getting Canadians out of our cars.
This is unacceptable.
Canada should be a land of near limitless prosperity.
Given our resource abundance and immensity of land, we should have vast suburbs filled with massive affordable homes, energy should be increadibly cheap, private car ownership should increase – not decrease.
There is no need to keep trying to pack more and more people into a few dense cities. And it makes no sense to rapidly increase immigration while pledging not to build new roads.
All of this eco-radicalism is crushing our standard of living, and it must end so the true economic potential of this country can be unleashed.
Spencer Fernando
