A commenter asked for my take on Stephane Dion's Green Shift gambit, also known as the Liberal Tax on Everything. (I like the caucus clapping video on their website.) The answer is not much. I do, however, think it could pose a problem for the Conservatives. The idea of a carbon tax is very popular with people -- until they actually have to pay the tax, that is. Just look at the unpopularity of the B.C carbon tax, which isn't even in place yet.
Most people are NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) environmentalists. Cut carbon emissions? Yes, as long as I keep my SUV. Reduce home energy use? OK, but don't make me turn down the heat one iota in the winter. People want pie-the-sky solutions that won't inflict any pain on them or their families.
But the world doesn't work that way. So the Dion Green Shift is problematic in that I think people could be convinced to vote for it. If it continues to be packaged in the way the Liberals are now trying to sell it -- ie. it won't hurt YOU, we put back in your right pocket what we take out of the left, etc. -- it could be a vote winner. It will play on the altruistic sensibilities of many middle-class families. (That is unless the economy tanks, in which case the environment will no longer be a priority for anyone, as has happened in the past during times of economic turmoil.)
Canadians will be in for a rude awakening if this policy is ever actually implemented.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 3:04 PM
