I despair of Dion's understanding of political strategy. You don't float trial balloons (i.e. the carbon tax) if you are in opposition! If you're the government, you can do that. You can send out a Royal Commission, whatever, spend months on talking about it and then come out with a policy. But not in opposition against a ruthless and cynical government with a massive war-chest. They can use TV ads to fill in the gaps while you're just looking at the gaps.
Moreover, do give your supporters some talking points! I am appalled by the level of understanding of the implications of a carbon tax on the Liberal blogs I've been reading. In particular, the statement that a natural price increase is the same as an increase in taxes. Wrong! Go back to Econ 101! Read your David Ricardo!
Next, a carbon tax is essentially the same as a cap-and-trade system! And even frigging John McCain is in favour of a cap-and-trade system! So the politically saleable policy is cap-and-trade even if carbon tax is better. You can say Obama, McCain are doing it, why not you Mr. Harper?
Or to take another tack, American conservatives are in favour of the carbon tax! All right -- Andrew Sullivan is. Libertarians are. Still. Principled conservatives are in favour of it. Unlike the unscrupulous crew who govern us.
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Theatre, etc. from a writer in Waterloo, Ontario
