Quote:
Originally Posted by Stranger
Dion can say that he will give farmers and truckers a rebate to cover the cost increases, but I assure you it won't.
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And there is the crux of the condemnation against the "Green Shift" - that people will generally end up paying more.
We have seen varying levels of Green taxes across Europe, which has made them world leaders in reducing greenhouse emissions - without increased tax burden and without crippling their economy. In fact, in Germany, which has the closest thing to the Liberal "Green Shift" has not only seen a signficant reduction in their emissions, but has also seen their economy grow.
So it would seem POSSIBLE to have a "Green Tax"/Ecotax without destroying the country. So this belief that an Ecotax would raise the cost of everything, increase taxes on everybody, destroy farms, impoverish the country, etc... has to be based on something other than "all Ecotaxes are evil".
I'm not 100% sold on the "Green Shift" as written. I have backed green taxes in the past as a general concept, but I'm not sure that Dion's "Green Shift" is the right implementation. However, at least they have a plan - an option that has worked in other countries. The Conservative plan mimics that of Chretien and Paul Martin - give great lip service to the issue, but nothing more.