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Unclear on the concept

05 Jun 2019 | News Roundup

When Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer announced a plan to remove GST from all home heating bills it drew considerable lack of attention, until the Parliamentary Budget Officer warned that it will cost $1.5 billion a year in revenue initially, and more each year, while saving an average household $117 per year. But the weird thing is that Scheer claims to take man-made global warming very seriously, to the point that his climate change program will become the best plan ever once he actually thinks of it. Except making heating by oil or gas cheaper means more gets burned releasing more CO2. Are you sure you’re a committed alarmist?

We’re not advocating higher carbon taxes. Nor are we advocating cumbersome and ineffective regulations. On the whole those like Andrew Coyne who advocate a pure carbon tax in place of a messy regulatory scheme have the best of the argument on how to reduce GHGs if you’re determined to do so. Which means those who reject carbon taxes would have the worst of it even if they actually had an alternative plan. When they don’t it’s fatuous … unless you actually think the best course of action is to do nothing.

Scheer doesn’t. At least not out loud. But just as he’s absolutely bent on eliminating the deficit, except he’s not, and determined to budget prudently except when handing out money he can’t replace in the hope of getting votes, he’s determined to stop us from using fossil fuels except he’ll make it easier.

As with Justin Trudeau’s idea of rebating carbon tax revenues so we can still afford the gas the tax makes more expensive, there seems to be a lot more PR than IQ in this scheme.

2 comments on “Unclear on the concept”

  1. Scheer would rather not have to talk about the idea of dirty CO2, but he also knows it will buy him votes that would otherwise go to Trudeau. So he has to appeal to the middle and at the same time get the anti carbon tax votes that are ripe for the plucking. Think back to Dion and his green plan. Talk about self destructive!!

  2. "Except making heating by oil or gas cheaper means more gets burned releasing more CO2."
    That is the (mostly) false premise that gives the carbon tax whatever purchase it has. In Canada, we don't have an option: heating our homes and driving long distances are an inescapable a fact of life. Increase the cost and you won't get less home heating (other than by the energy-impoverished who will freeze instead), and you won't get less driving. You will get pretty much the same CO2 "pollution" while making everyone poorer.
    This is partly because the capital cost of switching to "clean" energy is prohibitive for most people; and the operating cost of using "clean" energy is also higher. When no viable energy substitutions are available, "taxing carbon" doesn't really help.
    If people were serious about CO2, they would advocate for nuclear energy wherever possible.

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