Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday April 14, 2015
Premier Kathleen Wynne says it’s time to fight global warming by putting a price on carbon
Cap-and-trade is nothing more than a tax grab, critics say.
But Premier Kathleen Wynne says to do nothing to fight global warming will cost the economy far more.
“Cap-and-trade is a carbon tax by any other name,” Interim Progressive Conservative Leader Jim Wilson shot at the government to kick off question period.
“When businesses pay more, consumers pay more … it’s a tax on everything,” Wilson said.
Wynne said earlier at a news conference Monday that Ontarians are already paying for the effects of climate change in higher insurance premiums, among other things.
“Climate change is not a distant threat … we are talking about something is upon us … it is already imposing costs on the people of Ontario,” she said. “The sooner we get carbon pricing in place the better.”
The government estimates the 2013 ice storm cost $200 million in insurance payouts, while severe floods in the Greater Toronto Area resulted in nearly $1 billion in damages.
A cap-and-trade system discourages carbon emissions through a complex system of credits. While details were scarce, Wynne did acknowledge that motorists can expect to pay 2.5 to three cents a litre more at the pumps under the proposed plan.
But other than that, the program revealed little on exactly will pay and how consumers can expect to be impacted.
“It would be irresponsible of us to speculate on exactly what the costs are going to be when we haven’t worked to design the mechanism yet,” Wynne said, adding that critics can call it a tax if they want “even though it is misleading.” (Source: Toronto Star)
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Posted to Yahoo News Canada and iPolitics.