The Oil Drum: Canada

7 comments on The Round-Up: May 22, 2008

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benk on May 22, 2008 - 1:41pm

There are some more interesting tidbits in the NP pump prices article:

In opposition, Mr. Harper complained that taxes on gasoline were too high and pledged to stop charging GST on gas costing more than 85¢ a litre and to end the practise of taxing the full pump price of gas, including other taxes included in the price.

and

Mr. Harper criticized Stéphane Dion, the Liberal leader, for proposing a carbon tax, saying it will only add to prices at the pump.

Isn't Harper going in completely the wrong direction with this? That gas tax revenue will be made up for in some other way. The Toronto Star article (http://www.thestar.com/article/428316) on this also had these quotes from Harper:

"In the next generation, our economy will have to make a significant transition to a lot less reliance on hydrocarbons," he said.

"What government shouldn't do is jump in and actually increase the taxes on these products which, as you know, is what my opposition is proposing to do."

So he wants to make gas cheaper and at the same time create a "significant transition to a lot less reliance on hydrocarbons"...right.

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rumor on May 22, 2008 - 2:07pm

I agree, he's been pandering, but from his perspective it's a good move. The public hears the two things they want to hear, that gas taxes will not be raised and that we'll magically transition away from petroleum when the tipping point arrives. Perhaps most people see the contradiction here or, more likely, perhaps they don't, but what I'm certain about is that a lot of people don't care.

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mlr on May 22, 2008 - 3:17pm

Harper seems to be doing an excellent job of staying in the 30-40% popular vote range, by toeing the Conservative MO of simultaneously offering no worthwhile solutions and viciously attacking anybody else's. I really don't know what will break the political stalemate here. Dion has the right ideas, but he absolutely lacks the strength of character to back his beliefs with action (aka the Paul Martin syndrome), and, maybe it's just me, but I swear his English is getting worse every day.

You're right though, the level of apathy in Canada these days is frightening.

TJ in Ottawa

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benk on May 22, 2008 - 4:04pm

"Dion has the right ideas, but he absolutely lacks the strength of character to back his beliefs with action (aka the Paul Martin syndrome), and, maybe it's just me, but I swear his English is getting worse every day."

I'm with you. Dion is just not a strong leader. When the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy published their report on the path forward and suggested a carbon tax, Dion was with Harper in slamming the idea. I'm glad he's changed his mind but it doesn't help with his case as being a good leader.

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CrystalRadio on May 25, 2008 - 12:40pm

HEY DUDE! About 'not caring', dontcha know, we may not have tech but we do got OIL and so what if the forest industry, the tourist industry, the auto guys all dry up and blow away with the tumbleweeds, we not only have that OIL we got both kinds of energy, we got NATURAL GAS along side of OIL. So my little cowpoke, relax your well ploughed furrow ridden brow and just put your cowboy boots up on grandma's kitchen table, then with a store brand beer clasped firmly, let's all sing a chorus of Home on the Range, you know, where the skies are never cloudy all day, eh! (More fitting perhaps though could be the song of our Australian Commonwealth brothers' National bird, of course singing with one's head planted firmly in the sand gives a certain grittiness to that refrain.