FELDSTED: McKenna sounds like a clueless bimbo huckstering useless trash at a trade show

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna

McKenna defends federal government's carbon tax plan amid premiers' opposition.  Catherine McKenna says premiers, including Doug Ford, who call carbon tax a cash grab are 'absolutely wrong'  ~~  CBC Radio  ~~  Oct 24, 2018

The federal government has gone on the offensive to explain its newly announced plan to slap a carbon tax on the provinces and territories that did not sign onto the pan-Canadian framework on climate change.

Residents of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan can expect to pay more for gas by April, while also receiving "incentive rebates" from the federal government.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called the plan that was unveiled Tuesday "a shell game."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford called it "the worst tax ever, anywhere" and "the most divisive, most regressive tax in Canadian history."

CBC Radio asked Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, “You're using a tax to attempt to change behaviour of people, to try to get people and businesses to pollute less. And yet at the same time you're offering a rebate to some of those same people. What is my incentive to change my behaviour if you're taxing me now but paying me later?”

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Let’s start by saying this inane virtue signalling gibberish is consistent with recent federal communications. Next, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna sounds like a clueless bimbo huckstering useless trash at a trade show. It is also possible that she is testing out legal cannabis.

The carbon tax plan was simple – impose a federal carbon tax but coerce provinces into applying it to keep heat of the federal government for imposing a needless and useless now tax on our spending.

It nearly worked.

Now that it is not universal, McKenna appears determined to show electors, in the four errant provinces, that we will receive higher up-front subsidies than we will pay out in carbon tax. We can be forgiven for being skeptical, because I doubt the increased cost of goods and groceries is included in those calculations.

Providing the same carbon subsidy to a single person renting an apartment and having no car, to the tradesman who needs a van to carry his tools from job to job, is a bit odd – but there is a lot about the subsidy plan that makes no sense.

   

I expect the six provinces that imposed carbon taxes are wondering why they can’t get the same deal. It does sound good, perhaps too good.

John Feldsted

Political Consultant & Strategist

Winnipeg, Manitoba