Canada's NDP

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September 17th, 2012

Conservatives love to lie about Carbon Taxes

The Conservatives have a secret plan to impose a carbon tax.

  • The Conservatives 2008 platform contained the following: “Developing a Cap and Trade System to Cut Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: ... We will work with the provinces and territories and our NAFTA trading partners in the United States and Mexico, at both the national and state levels, to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases and air pollution, with implementation to occur between 2012 and 2015.” (p. 32)
  • In 2009 when Jim Prentice met with the Premier of Alberta and the Minister of the Environment, his briefing notes show he pressed the Alberta government, saying: “We believe that a carefully designed cap-and-trade system will send the appropriate price signals to encourage changes and ultimately help reduce emissions” (Canadian Press, August 15, 2011)
  • In 2011, after a new Cabinet was sworn in, Environment Minister Peter Kent said about Cap-and-trade: “It can always be something to consider in the future” (Toronto Star, May 19, 2011)

According to the Conservatives own twisted logic, Conservatives planned to impose a carbon tax between 2012 and 2015, and are still actively considering a carbon tax in the future.

The well documented reality is, the NDP has opposed a carbon tax in the past and continues to do so now.