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Or “green shifting” as the Liberals would have you say. As you may recall, I support the notion of a revenue neutral carbon tax. Carbon needs a price for the market to react and engage the notion of pollution in a way it currently does not. However, that does not mean that a carbon tax is a tax grab. If the new revenue from a carbon tax is offset by lower income taxes, then I really don’t see what everyone in BC is all screwballing over. Especially when it will only increase your average gas bill by $46 per year! 

In any case, the Liberals plan seems to look out for all potentially affected groups, at least from my perspective, in a way that Gordon Campbell’s plan doesn’t. And it’s showing. Despite Harper spouting off like an idea and saying a carbon tax would “screw all Canadians“, a new survey just goes to show that just because some guy is the leader of your country does not mean he represents a major portion of the population. 

A Canadian Press survey asked this to 1000 Canadians:

The Liberals are calling their policy A Green Shift. The main elements are putting a tax on carbon or greenhouse-gas emissions, and using the money raised by this tax to reduce income and other taxes, to provide financial support for those less well off and to invest in green technologies. The tax increases will be phased in over four years and will not apply to gasoline. Based on this description, would you say this is a policy you strongly support, support, oppose or strongly oppose.

And heck, it turns out 47% of those polled liked the idea. 39% were opposed. Regardless of how you read into these numbers, it just goes to show that Canadians still think the environment is a major issue in this country, clearly aren’t happy with how the Conservatives have handled the problems we are facing with climate change, and are able to actually grasp the concept of a revenue neutral carbon tax - more than can be said for Stephen Harper. 

Now it’s time for Harper to put his mouth where his beliefs are and face off with Dion in a serious debate about the idea of a carbon tax. Canada certainly deserves nothing less. 

And in other news, the scientist that first told the US Congress about global warming recommended America adopt a carbon tax!

“We have to level with the public that there has to be a price on carbon emissions,” Hansen said. “That is the only way we are going to begin to move toward a carbon free economy.”

Hansen said urgent action was needed to cut carbon dioxide emissions that are warming the globe and are already causing arctic ice to melt. He said world leaders had only one or two years to act before the Earth reaches a “tipping point” with major consequences to the global climate and species survival.

“We have reached an emergency situation,” Hansen said.

He said the government should not keep the proceeds from any carbon tax, but refund the money to taxpayers to help them pay for more fuel efficient technology.

Last week, the UN Development Program singled out Canada for hurting the world’s poor through its refusal to take serious action on climate change. Canadians are the second largest per capita emitters and therefore among the very worst contributors to what the UNDP calls the “defining human development issue of our generation.”…

At the Commonwealth summit in Kampala, Uganda, Nov. 23-25, Harper scuppered a British-led initiative that would have seen developed countries take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He insisted that binding commitments must be adopted by every country or none at all…

Harper’s antipathy to international environmental co-operation is well known. He once dismissed the Kyoto Protocol as “essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations.” But his concerns about burden-sharing and free-riding are misplaced. Firefighters don’t check tax records before responding to an emergency call…

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Whatever his motives, Harper’s stance is downright nasty. For rather than simply sitting on the sidelines, he’s actively seeking to block urgent action on the part of other countries.

It’s time to put the long-term interests of humanity ahead of domestic politics.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown understands this. So does California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. So too does Australia’s new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, who has promised to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

Want to see a small man, van Loan? He’s sitting right beside you – playing games while the planet burns.

[The Toronto Star via Queer Liberal]

Heck, you’d think that this week’s coast to coast snow storms is evidence enough of the impacts of climate change - apparently not for Mr. Harper. The fact of the matter is that this government was elected in only to punish the Liberal party for the sponsorship scandal. They have no real objectives, no real plan, to move Canada forward in the 21st century. Once the people realize, maybe we can start being part of the solution once again.

Stephen Harper annoys me. He has this very unstable control issue, limiting the information and the language that is released from his government to the media. And not just that, but he has completely tainted Canada’s international reputation: half pulling out of Kyoto, continuing to fight in Afghanistan… By refusing to move this country forward, we have been lambassed by the UN for our lack of action on both indigenous rights and homelessness. Canada is no longer the Canada I once knew, and a lot of that is due to Stephen Harper.

But if there’s one thing worse than Harper, it’s my personal frustration towards Stephane Dion. Ever since the leadership convention, Dion has become a political toy, and lacky for the Liberals. He has become incompotent and his opinions no longer matter. By refusing to be a strong opposition and control the agenda, as Harper strategically did in the last election, Dion is letting the Conservatives destroy Canada. And they aren’t even a majority government yet!

Dion is absolutely despicable. He whined and complained about the throne speech, but wasn’t willing to actually stand up to it, because his pollsters say he wouldn’t win a minority government. Obviously not when he’s so bloody indecisive. Make a decision and stick with it. Either be the opposition leader Canada needs or get out.

The media made a fake fuss out of Canadians not wanting an election. Just like they are making “news” out of immigrants rights. Fuck the media - they don’t know shit. Learn to play the media. People can take less than an hour of their day to make one of the most important acts of democracy and freedom in our world. If Canadians don’t understand the concept behind such a *simple* act, then there’s something deeply wrong in this country.

Stupid Dion. He needs to be bold. He needs to bring the media’s focus back to what matters to Canadians; to what we need to do to regain our status as the best country in the world. The Greens know what it takes - they just don’t have the support, due to many different factors, include an antiquated electoral system. If Dion was smart, he would capitalize on the power of the Liberal party to initiate real, important change.

Jack Layton was once bold. Till he started playing political games with the Tories to kill the Liberals. And then he started spouting off on bank charges. That is not the responsibility of the federal government. There’s bigger things going on in the world than minimal surcharges.

People want bold leaders with true visions. Leaders that are willing to stick up for their ideas and not simply bend and twist for the political machine. Sam Sullivan is not a bold leader. Dianne Watts is not a bold leader. Carole James definitely is not a bold leader.

Where the f**k are the leaders?!

There’s a reason Pierre Trudeau, despite his tumultuous actions, is remember as one of the best and most important Prime Ministers in the history of Canada.

Who else wants the next Trudeau?