Just over two years ago the Con fluffer Paul Wells promoted this ghastly gang of Con carbon tax deniers, calling them The Resistance.
And claiming they were "Justin Trudeau's worst nightmare."
Less than a year later Trudeau defeated Andrew Scheer and shrunk him down to size.
And yesterday he turned the others into big time losers.
With the help of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court of Canada didn’t simply decide that the Liberal carbon-tax law is constitutional. In its opinion issued Thursday, the court also declared that climate change is a threat to humanity, and carbon pricing so effective in addressing it, that for the sake of good government Ottawa has to be able to play a role in setting minimum national standards for carbon taxes.
The biggest loser was Erin O'Toole, who after claiming he's a moderate who believes in climate change, now has to explain why he wants to repeal the carbon tax.
Which as you can see from the look on his face can't be easy, but does explain this:
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole held a press conference in Ottawa that lasted all of nine minutes, before he headed to Question Period, where he raised the issue a total of zero times.
The next biggest loser is Jason Kenney who has vowed to make it a ballot issue in the next federal election.
But will have to explain to most Canadians who now support carbon pricing, why he would deprive them of those generous rebates.
Far from just costing Canadians money, a federal carbon pricing plan could actually give more cash back to families than they spent in the first place.
And why Big Oil is less of a climate change denier than is Kenney.
The oil and gas industry’s largest trade group Thursday endorsed a price on planet-warming carbon emissions, marking a major shift after it long resisted regulatory action on climate change.
Which could make him even less popular, than he is right now...
But just as desperate as Brian Pallister.
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says the province is still moving forward with its own legal challenge of the federal carbon tax, despite a Supreme Court ruling that the federal Liberal government's carbon pricing regime is constitutional.
Who will no doubt be spending even more time in Costa Rica when his challenge goes nowhere...
As for Saskatchewan's Scott Moe, his reaction was even more idiotic, if that's possible.
As I pointed out on Twitter...
Which only leaves the political thug Doug Ford, who apparently has seen the writing on the wall, and surrendered unconditionally.
A chastened Environment Minister Jeff Yurek told reporters at Queen’s Park that “we’re disappointed in the decision from the Supreme Court.”
But Yurek said the province would work with Ottawa to achieve Canada’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
Which makes Justin Trudeau the only winner of this carbon tax war.
And sets him firmly on the path to becoming one of Canada's greatest prime ministers...
He is leading Canada to victory in the war on Covid-19, as well leading Canada to a greener future.
Who could ask for anything more?
So let's make sure he gets the crushing majority he deserves...
18 comments:
So why did Trudeau get us, the country, to buy that old Trans Mountain pipeline to Vancouver? Hmmm? 4.7 billion dollars down the toilet.
And then double down and gift Alberta the twin pipeline expansion known as TMX which is currently a-building? At least 12 billion taxpayer dollars down the rathole for Justin's eco-non-promises.
He talks a big game and then does bugger all. Most of the time he does the opposite of what he so loftily and wokely promises on the environment. So street dumb, a couple of WE con artists took him in. All he's done so far is put in a miserly carbon tax, and then refund individuals at tax time! Yessir, no wonder David Suzuki told the silly fool off. He didn't like that much, he has such a high opinion of hisself, he thought Suzuki would be dazzled by his mere presence. Got that one wrong.
When you one day get honest, Simon, I'll pay more attention to your rapture. Until then, do try to get your head screwed on straight.
BM
Rather than insulting Simon as somehow mentally challenged, I suggest you look up FIPA, and recall that one of the main reasons Trudeau bought the pipeline was as a transitory measure to coincide with what was then Rachel Notley's diversification program. It unfortunately didn't help her to stay in office, leaving Kenney to kibosh it. But at that point, there was nothing Trudeau could do.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/31/justin-trudeau-kinder-morgan-pipeline-china-did-he-fear-being-sued
Stop obsessing over Trudeau's big pipeline or pretending that the carbon pricing mechanism is the sole panacea in the Liberals' climate platform. David Suzuki and Greta Thunberg talk a big game from behind their Twitter accounts, but don't actually have to govern. I suggest either of them run for office where they'll quickly find out that armchair quarterbacking is a fool's errand, and purity tests don't benefit anyone. By fixating on TMX and Trudeau not satisfying all of Greta's magic wishes by overthrowing capitalism with a magic wand, you're ignoring all of this:
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/06/21/opinion/serious-70-billion-climate-plan-youve-heard-nothing-about
Politics is the art of what's possible, so I ask, what's the alternative? Realistically, I mean. The tar fetishist Cons who think science is a communist hoax? The clueless NDP who ignores the constitution when it's convenient just to slag the Liberals, and would have probably had their flimsy unicorn promises tossed out in court? The Greens, who have, what, 3 seats and exist purely as a vehicle for Elizabeth May to get her name in the news once in a blue moon? The Bloc, who aren't even mathematically configured to form a government? I know, maybe we can give Max a majority so he can blame fires at Fort Mac and floods in the Maritimes on fluoride in the water, Liberal sex parties at Ping Pong Poutine Pizza, and "woke SJWs" identifying with gender-neutral pronouns. Jordan Peterson as Minister of Fisheries, yeah, that's the ticket!
Sorry that Trudeau's politically feasible climate policy that the government fought long and hard against "the Resistance" to get through, doesn't meet with your impossible standards of perfection. I for one am damn glad to see him win this "Obamacare" fight and have no time for naysayers, any more than I did the purity politicos in my country who abandoned the president as a sellout because he didn't eliminate private insurance overnight. Knee-jerk populism is heavy on outrage and devoid of facts. Neither extreme on the left or the right are dealing in reality and only making whataboutism arguments in bad faith.
I agree, give the man a majority on the heels of his shiny new National Energy Program, and let the science deniers and purity-test bastards alike freeze in the dark.
BM - Trudeau buying and expanding the pipelines while implementing a carbon tax and a carbon reduction plan is no different than Norway granting dozens of new offshore oil and gas exploration licenses while divesting of oil companies in their wealth fund. It's economics.
https://www.vox.com/22256192/norway-oil-gas-investments-fossil-fuel
UU
cons cant walk and think at the same time, mostly all they can do is talk the talk
I'd like to but rather than comment on someone's Kumbaya, tunnel vision of the conundrum that is our tar sands, I will keep with the jovial spirit of your blog, Simon. It is awesome to see "The resistance" reduced to what they were all along, "The Pestilence". Shot down by the SCOC and exposed as the colossal idiots that they are by blowing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on what was a losing proposition all along. It was always political, they never had an alternate effective carbon plan nor are they capable of producing one. It was always about driving a wedge between Canadians on the issue as they do with all issues.
These supposed " fiscal Conservatives" are always whining about how JT is "wasting" our money but in reality, a lot of it has been helping Canadians with I and many people I know being among them. We also know that when Cons are in power, the taps dry up for us yet these assholes always have money to waste on their pet projects, attacking their enemies and repaying their corporate benefactors. They truly are a loathsome, fetid and festering sewer of everything that's wrong with the world.
JD
Hi BM...Lordy you are grumpy today. How many times have I told you that dementia and booze and/or crack don't mix? And what makes you and other old Cons think you can insult me and get away with it? I had to delete four equally rude comments and I should have deleted yours as well. But I didn't so let me keep this brief. I don't like pipelines either, but Justin Trudeau is the prime minister he has to think of the whole country, and since a lot of Canadians in Alberta are suffering, that pipeline will help prevent a national unity crisis, and hopefully ease the transition to a greener economy. But it is a pipeline to nowhere, and imposing a carbon tax will get us to that green economy far quicker than cancelling it. Got it? Good...
Hi Jackie...Thank you for helping BM see the bigger picture, in such a brilliant manner, and better than I ever could. There is a lot of useful information in your comment, and what you have to say about the useless opposition parties is bang on. As for me, I just don't have the energy to deal with those rude Cons. But I guess they can see the writing on the wall, and know that as soon as an election comes, they are going to have to put up with Justin Trudeau for four more years. Hopefully four very long and very painful years, because goodness knows they deserve them...
Hi UU...Thank you for pointing out that progressive governments can do more than one thing at a time. Scotland is another good example. It may be pumping oil out of the North Sea, but it is developing its clean energy resources, so they can now provide about 80% of its daily energy needs. Cons are stuck in the past, and would like to keep us all in the dying oil age...
Hi Steve...You're right, the Cons talk up a storm, claim they have a magic formula to tackle climate change without carbon pricing, and suggest things like a small modular nuclear reactors on every block. No thank you very much...
Hi JD...Yes you're right, we mustn't let the Cons get us down, and drag us all into their oily pit of depravity. They have every reason to be depressed while we are on the road to victory, and the biggest party ever !! If our hideous media wasn't so corrupt Canadians would understand why they can never trust a Con to do anything but lie, cheat, and try to change this country into a Republican horror show. They are as you say, the "loathsome, fetid and festering sewer of everything that's wrong with the world..."
JT bought the fucking pipeline because no on else wanted it and he thought all the windshield cowboys in the west would turn on thier wipers and see the real picture. Fact is we still gotta ship our shit for sometime.
The carbon tax ruling on the heels of their bad PR over the party climate vote must have really spooked them. How can you tell? Skippy is squawking again. So Pablo snapped back.
https://www.thestar.com/politics/2021/03/28/tories-demand-trudeau-testify-on-we-deal-after-liberals-reject-hearing-from-pm-staff.html
What's his office address? Someone please mail him one of these books via Amazon. The pigeon needs a bath... he also needs to get a life.
https://pigeonpresents.com/books/
I believe in climate change but do not agree with the carbon tax solution. There is so much money in the world today nobody really gives a damn about a buck or two carbon tax. If this country is really concerned about climate change it would be legislating/supporting alternatives to fossil fuel consumption. Carbon taxes will take forever to make any significant change. Carbon tax is a way to legitimize the continued consumption of tarsands goo for decades.
I live in BC and the carbon tax implemented 13 years ago by Gordon Campbell did not do a thing except enrich the government coffers and give financial breaks to the pollution producers. Consumption increased.
The carbon tax is all about money, not climate change.
"JT bought a pipeline", the clarion call of the lunatic fringe of the environmental movement and certain political party supporters on "the left".
I swear the environmental ideologues are just as bad as conservative ideologues. They care more about ideological purity than actually coming up with viable and effective policies to address the issues that they claim to care about.
The Federal government could decide to give into these ideologues and give them everything they want. There would then be much joy among the ideologues and that joy would be orgasmic, in the sense that it would be intense and short-lived because the societal and economic upheaval caused by these sudden changes would make the backlash against them inevitable and massive.
Without a doubt the opponents of the Federal government would ride that backlash to power and rollback all environmental measures, not just the ones that caused the backlash but all of the environmental measures that have been enacted in the last 20 years. We would be back in the 90s. Further the credibility of the environmental movement would be destroyed, not recovering until the worst impacts of climate change are as in-your-face as the COVID-19 pandemic, which of course would be much too late for enacting climate change prevention measures.
The Trudeau government is doing exactly what they should be doing. They are bringing Canadians along slowly by enacting measured policies but becoming more aggressive as time goes on. The approach is working. The recent announcement that the tax levy would be raised to $130/tonne by 2030 was met with a collective shrug by Canadians (except for the usual suspects). If they would have made such an announcement just five years ago the reaction would have much more negative.
The goal is to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. That will only be done if Canadians continue to find such a fight to be credible. To ensure the maintenance of that credibility some decisions, that may seem counterintuitive to fighting climate change, such as buying an oil pipeline or building a LNG facility, will need to be taken.
It is an imperfect solution to an imperfect problem but it does prevent the inevitable problems that arise when the need for perfection interferes with achieving the good.
Hi Jackie....Those pigeon comics are hilarious. My favourite: Don't Let the Pigeon drive The Bus. And the reason I like it so much is that Pigeon Poilievre is never going to drive anything again. His pathetic attempt to keep the fake WE scandal alive is going nowhere, and only symbolizes how low the Cons have fallen. They're out of ideas, if they ever had any. And they know that when the next election arrives the best they can hope for is a Trudeau minority. I know we can do better than that, and the sooner the better...
Hi Rob....The carbon tax or carbon pricing isn't the only way to fight climate change, but it's still the best way to get all of us involved, which in turn is the best way to start making a difference. As I understand it, the BC carbon pricing scheme did make some headway until recently when fossil fuel mania temporarily undermined it. The problem is it's still way too low, and only when it's raised substantially will it start to make a real difference. And for that to be possible other provinces also need to hike their prices so businesses don't just move across the border. But that will happen, and when you factor in other things like electric cars, wind power, etc etc we finally will be on the road to the future. Your plan to legislate climate change by closing down the tar sands or whatever would only cause massive unrest which would be counterproductive. Slowly but surely we are winning the war on climate change, and we shouldn't blow it now...
Hi Ottlib...I share your frustration, some environmentalists are as deranged as the Cons who refuse to accept climate change. And unfortunately are too small minded to understand that sometimes perfection is the enemy of the good. It won't be easy to wean this country from its tarry trap, but change must happen and I believe the Trudeau government is heading in the right direction. The pandemic has obscured the need for change, but it's still there and becoming more imperative all the time. Most Canadians now accept that something needs to be done, so the Cons are going to find themselves more and more isolated, as even Big Oil leaves them looking like idiots or neanderthals...
If Macleans had to do another cover with these sad sacks, the title should be "The Resistance is Futile"
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