Canada's 2008 Election: Green? Shift?

Ontario lawyer Paul McKeever boils down Stéphane Dion's Liberal "Green Shift" carbon tax proposal. Either its not green, or it does not involve a shift. In other words: either it will not reduce CO2 emissions, or it will be a tax grab.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• commentary
• analysis
• political
• commercial
• Canada
• Canadian
• election
• Stéphane
• Dion
• Liberal
• Green
• Shift
• carbon
• tax
• taxes

[Drillinstructor179]

Nice beard

[PaulMcKeever]

I think so too. That makes at least two of us.

[horvay]

Its strange. I think people actually think of business as a pot of money. They don't realize that many of the older companies are based on margin.

A company might make like 1 bill in income, but have 900 mill in cost. When the "green tax" raises their cost up to 1 bill, they have no choice but to lay off people or shut down.

Business is based on margin, not on income. Especially the older business that have been around for a long time.

[horvay]

Many companies are based on much less margin too... around 3-5%

[GreenVirgoGirl]

Mr. McKeever, have you researched the Green Party tax shift? You know, the one the Liberals tried to replicate. Who knows policies better then the original producers? No one! So might I suggest you continue your homework and educate yourself further on this topic. Considering the Liberals were not successful in introducing their tax shift, by your explanation, we should be better off... However, that is not the case. Ask most people from Oshawa how they are and the answer is universal, WORSE!!!

[jkirk1963]

Man those refomatories sure hate paying their taxes !

[hoomelemele]

I'm so glad I discovered you, I really need things like the 'dime demonstration'! and thank you for not speed-talking the way most people do. what is up with that? do they think the faster they talk the smarter they look?

[JaredLangdon]

There's a flaw in your logic. Under the green shift, the additional tax on fuel would increase its cost, and discourage people from buying it. What you're saying is true only if people spent all of their income tax cut on fuel, but they would not. They would spend it on other things too. They would be incented to buy things like bikes, bus passes, and running shoes - things that are not subject to the carbon tax.

[eothernnn]

i my pusssy is wet O

[Jesusplant]

impose a high tax on them, to offset the subsidy that those goods currently are receiving." Just a quote from Joseph Stiglitz Professor Economics University Columbia

[Jesusplant]

"In most of the developed countries of the world today, firms are paying the cost of pollution to the global environment, in the form of taxes imposed on coal, oil, and gas. But American firms are being subsidized—and massively so. There is a simple remedy: other countries should prohibit the importation of American goods produced using energy intensive technologies, or, at the very least,

[Jesusplant]

for a lawyer i'm surprise, you think we should jsut continue to externalize the cost of pollution. have you looked into or at least glanced over other countries/pronvinces that have implemented the carbon tax.

[PaulMcKeever]

Dion, as I see it, is literally hoping most voters do not look at the plan.

[notintheatres]

Not everyone who has read the plan has come to this same conclusion. For a different (and fun) take on The Green Shift and its benefits, please see "The Green Shift in 88 Seconds" on YouTube :)