Dear Editors,
The Green/Liberal Carbon Tax scheme actually does nothing for the environment, as it fails to restrain corporate polluters that can afford to pay the additional tax. In fact, these corporate polluters could increase their emissions if it would increase revenue enough to pay the additional taxes and still leave room for profit.
Many supporters of the Carbon Tax claim that there will be revenue neutrality; however in actuality there is no such thing as a revenue-neutral market. Businesses that can afford polluting will simply pass along the difference to the consumer, increasing the essential cost of living for the lowest and middle-income brackets.
As energy and food prices continue to rise and corporate profits exceed billions, hard working Canadians are being squeezed on both sides. Many middle-class Canadians are living just a few paycheques away from bankruptcy. Our party recognizes that a strong and healthy middle class means a strong and healthy Canada.
This is why the NDP’s Cap and Trade program allows for families not to worry about paying the extra fees for trying to make our environment cleaner.
Companies also are able to create inventive new ways of obtaining lower green house gas emissions.
In fact, as recently as Monday June 2, both the Liberal governments of Quebec and Ontario have promoted the Carbon Cap and Trade market, effectively declaring they’re tired of the federal government’s lack of leadership on the environment portfolio.
Both governments have also denounced their federal counterpart’s Carbon Tax program, partnering together to provide a viable solution to our environmental problems. Quebec and Ontario, along with all of the remaining presidential nominees in the United States, have endorsed the carbon Cap and Trade program. This allows for more innovation and the ability to help reduce energy consumption with more environmental awareness.
The NDP’s plan will use the generated revenues created through the selling of carbon credits to invest in national retrofitting programs to help homeowners decrease their energy consumption right at home.
Jamie Masse
New Democratic Party
Kingston Executive
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