Liberal Carbon Tax

[madmax]

Jumping off the tax shifting bandwagon? Environmentalists and Economists dispute benefits of Carbon Tax.

http://www.thetyee.ca/News/2008/10/30/Carb...campaign=301008

A recent study by the David Suzuki Foundation showed very little difference in economic impact among various options for recycling carbon tax revenues. Moreover, tax shifting is not sound public policy because at some point in the future carbon tax revenues should fall because we are doing such a good job at reducing emissions.

This didn't come out in the Federal Campaign.....

"If low- and middle-income people get priced out of the market while others can 'buy their way out' of change, climate policies may lose broad-based political support."

The study also considers the political ramifications of "revenue neutrality" -- the guarantee that all carbon-tax revenues must be returned to taxpayers. The concept has been ridiculed by carbon-tax opponents, both in B.C. and in the recent federal election.

"There is no reason why revenue neutrality needs to be part of the carbon tax system," the study says. "The government's approach of full revenue neutrality is more of a political decision than anything else, designed to make the tax more publicly acceptable.

And even doing the above, Dion couldn't make it acceptable to the public. So where does this leave the BC Liberals?

[eyeball]

So where does this leave the BC Liberals?

Proportional representation would make a good election issue. I've never voted Liberal in my life but I wouldn't hesitate for a moment if Campbell tacked this way.