There has been a lot of news about our new federal carbon tax with much chagrin for the motoring fuel consumer.
We see little reference to the impact this will have on the large corporations that are seriously contributing to the carbon emissions threatening our planet.
As I witness the panel discussions and news releases, I’m forced to observe these with humour, humour because it would otherwise be too painful to watch. Simply put, the carbon tax will not work to curb the carbon emissions that are propelling us to the tipping point on global warming.
When the tax was initially proposed, I predicted the Feds would never get the provinces on board as willing participants, and today, after delays and wrangling, the four recalcitrant provinces have the tax imposed upon them.
The result has been a waste of time as the global clock ticks on while the Liberals can show they “are doing something about” climate change.
As we trundle on with our carbon tax future, we must realize that the government will never fund the administration of the tax adequately. Enforcement of the tax will require inspectors who are experts in environmental controls and a bureaucracy to support their work. The cost of doing that effectively will be short changed as the Liberals try to manage a deficit.
When these inspectors bring charges against the corporate polluters, they will be truncated by corporate engineers and their staff lawyers. These, with more resources and skill sets at their disposal, will challenge the enforcement efforts at every turn to ultimately wrestle the disputes into the courts.
And then the courts will process the challenges to eventually and hopefully establish the case law to decide on the enforcement issues.
I know not how long all this will take, but I’m not holding my breath.
André Clément
Sudbury