It is probably for the best that the Ontario Progressive Conservatives have a schlemiel such as Patrick Brown as their leader. They will be relieved when he goes. And here is the poor guy trying to explain the difference between carbon taxes and Cap and Trade to a political party that is determined to tolerate neither.
Brown is Ontario’s political poster boy for “Loser.”
We once wasted one of our commentaries on explaining the difference between a carbon tax and Cap and Trade. The simple answer is they are what they say. A carbon tax relates to taxing the amount of carbon you are spewing into our environment. As a tax, it is open to audit and to explanation as to where the money went. It is a system that is easy to follow.
Cap and Trade is not. And that is why Patrick Brown—after flip-flopping as usual—came down on the side of the more hidden money trail. And that is where Ontario and Quebec are anyway. Canada’s two largest provinces are linked to California with a population almost as large as Canada in keeping their supposed Cap and Trade system obscure and under wraps.
And that seems to suit Ontario Opposition Leader Brown as well. What good the federal carbon reduction targets and taxes will be when Ontario and Quebec are tied to some vague promises in California, is a good question.
It is regrettable (for Brown) that he is not old enough to even be aware of the abilities of previous Ontario Conservative Premiers such as Leslie Frost, John Robarts and Bill Davis. He could have learned so much.
The problem is he would have to be in his 80s to remember Leslie Frost. That man never met a political problem that he could not obfuscate while sweeping it under the rug. John Robarts was the chairman of the board and he brought in a new era of industrialized Ontario. And then there was that smoothie Bill Davis. Everybody likes Bill. And the guy actually has a conscience. How can you compare any one of those Conservative gentlemen to a klutz like Brown? His heroes are former Premier Mike Harris and former Leader Tim Hudak.
And Brown has absolutely no idea how he would do anything better.
-30-
Copyright 2017 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]