It's not every day that the prime minister of Canada calls the premier of British Columbia a bare-faced liar.But it happened today when Prime Minister Stephen Harper said BC Premier Gordon Campbell's carbon tax on gasoline and other fuels is not revenue neutral - contradicting everything Campbell has claimed about the tax since it was introduced in February's budget and imposed July 1.
“Every politician in history who wants to impose a new tax claims that it's either revenue neutral or it's temporary. It's not true,” Harper said, adding later: “The reason politicians impose a new tax is they need revenue.”
But Campbell insists his carbon/gas tax is revenue neutral and has done so since the February BC Budget introduced it.
Apparently Harper thinks Campbell is prevaricating.
“Everybody knows – especially in British Columbia – that that kind of a carbon tax is not revenue neutral on the average working family,” Harper told the media at a campaign event in Richmond today.
“For British Columbians, there is a double risk that comes from the carbon tax proposal: imposing a made-in-Ottawa carbon tax on [top of] B.C.'s existing carbon tax. Canadians don't want a new tax and British Columbians don't want double carbon taxation,” Harper said.
Harper also is calling former BC Liberal Finance Minister Carole Taylor a big fibber, as she has repeatedly said the carbon tax would not increase government revenue.
"I want to repeat: This tax will be 100 per cent revenue neutral," Taylor said earlier this year.
Who's right - Harper or Campbell? Your comments are welcome.
And if you don't like the BC carbon tax, join my Facebook protest group - which has almost 10,000 members - by clicking on the link just above.
9 comments:
Hi Bill
I think Harper is right. The BC Carbon Tax is not neutral. It is just a big tax grab from the citizens who elected Campbell. I firmly beleive that this tax grab was put in place to cover the cost overuns this government is allowing.
The tax grab does nothing to penalize large corporations.(the biggest pollutors) and it sure as hell isn't offset by the measly $100 he is piddling out.
Having said all that what is really irking me is that Harper is ragging on everyone elses solutions and hasn't the balls to put forward a better. Personally, I think Harper is pissed because Dion got there first.
Harper, period.
Regardless of whether one might be a Tory or not, the Premier has lied consistently from the beginning about this Carbon horsefeathers being revenue neutral and not adversely affecting middle to lower income earners.
It's pure bunk.
As for Carole, I know of at least two mutual friends who told her never to back the tax again.
You'll notice that she has not...
The Premier will wear the tax, the salary increase, the green hypocrisy...all of it and more.
Just watch...
gary e - you are incorrect in stating that the Conservatives have no plan.
(Reprinted with permission from http://returnofthetory.btblogs.ca/2008/09/07/we-are-better-off-with-harper/ )
The Conservatives introduced a realistic plan to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020 and to cut air pollution in half by 2015 (unlike the ridiculous Kyoto protocol that the Liberals themselves admitted to the Auditor General that they had no actual plan to implement and meet the targets).
Within this plan, for the first time in history, industries will be forced by law to meet tough emission reduction targets. There will be national caps for industrial emissions of the four air pollutants associated with acid rain and smog. The Tories created the $2 billion ecoENERGY Initiative to promote smarter energy use, greater use of energy sources and encourage the cleaner use of traditional energy sources.
The Conservatives also created $1.5 billion trust for clean air and climate change in partnership with the provinces and territories, “created $300 million Chemicals Management Plan to regulate chemicals harmful to human health and the environment, dedicated $2 billion over seven years for the production of renewable fuels and made a $225 million investment to acquire and preserve ecologically sensitive lands.”
Those are the facts. Dion would like us to forget about the 27% increase in emissions seen under 13 years of Liberal government, and wants us to just trust him (based on some stupid calculator) in his implementation of the Green Nonsense Shift.
Harper is correct. It's only revenue neutral to the BC government not the rate payers. Harper is not may favourite politician by a long shot, but he is right on the mark with his comments regarding the Carbon Tax.
A tax on carbon is pointless anyway. The world mean temperature is falling on it's own all the while CO2 levels continue to rise over at Mauna Loa. With no solar cycle 24 initiated and a PDO flip to negative, we are in for some very cold times ahead.
The Carbon tax is a ripoff. Harper is on the right track by lowering taxes on diesel and should do the same for gasoline as well. Here is to a Harper majority !
pot kettle
Gordon Campbell a liar? I think he prefers it as an "economy of truth"
The prime minister's attack on the provincial Liberals simply shows his absolute lack of understanding that the BC Liberals are Conservatives (formerly Social Credit) in sheep's clothing.
It was by usurping the Liberal moniker that the party garnered the centre and right wing vote, leaving the NDP with only their most staunch union supporters and a small contingent of left-leaning liberals.
By calling Gordon Campbell a liar, the prime minister is distancing himself from those who are most likely to vote for him.
Is this not the case, or am I missing something?
Jacinth---No you are absolutely wrong,conservative,liberal,NDP it matters not,Campbell is a liar and Campbell has been doing nothing but bleeding votes,the last three polls I am aware of for Provincial politics--NDP even with the fiberals, NDP up 3 points on the Lieberals,NDP up 8 points on the crimiberals.
Harper is very wise and he knows that Campbell is done,the collective group think has had enough of Point Grey Gordon,people have wised up to Campbells tax cuts,give a tiny break and take ten fold in new or increased user fees,
Who do you think has big boats gobbling fuel,the rich,who do you think two tier hydro billing is going to affect the most,thats right mcmansions,their hydro increases could be thousands of dollars a year.
A escalating carbon tax,a plummeting housing market,the big boys don`t need tax cuts,thats what they have accountants for!
Harper has calculated(correctly mind you)kick the dog Campbell while he`s down.
Did you catch the blockbuster news from yesterday that most media(except david berner)(The Berner Monologues)ignored,The Vancouver Board of Trade has asked Campbell to not raise the carbon tax and or get rid of it completly!
Do you realize the shift in thinking,the VBoT has been Campbells biggest supporter,the VBoT has powerful bussiness ties and big corporation connections.
Campbells biggest supporter has just trashed him over the carbon tax,Campbell must be squirming like a worm!
Catch 22---If Campbell backs down on the carbon tax suzuki and the enviros will dump on him and it will make Stephane Dion look like a fool (which he is)because Dion just praised Campbell calling him a hero, if Campbell doesn`t back off on the carbon tax the VBoT and all their clout will cost Campbell a giant voting block!
SO there it is,GORDOH is backed into a corner,damned if he does,damned if he doesn`t, and it was all Campbells own doing,well with a little help from Jessicca Mcdonald,Campbells personal 349.000 dollar plus expenses advisor!---Cheers to Harper and his majority,cheers to premier Carole James!
Silly liberals, ya tax,tax,tax their way into political defeat,SHEESH!
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