Bonnie Crombie

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday September 14, 2024

Here is an animated version of this editorial cartoon

Carbon Pricing Abandonment – Politics Over Principle, and a Failure of Leadership

Carbon pricing has long been hailed as a critical tool in the global fight against climate change, a market-based solution designed to reduce carbon emissions and incentivize cleaner energy alternatives. For years, progressive leaders in Canada like Bonnie Crombie, David Eby, and Jagmeet Singh stood firm on the value of carbon pricing. But now, faced with political pressures and the looming threat of populist rhetoric from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s “Axe the Tax” campaign, these same politicians are backtracking on their once resolute stances. This shift reflects a larger, troubling pattern of political pandering that prioritizes short-term electoral gain over long-term environmental responsibility.

David Eby, for instance, once a steadfast advocate for carbon pricing in British Columbia, is now promising to eliminate the provincial carbon tax for everyday British Columbians—provided the federal government drops its own requirements. This reversal is deeply disappointing for a province that was once a trailblazer in implementing a carbon tax. As B.C. Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau aptly pointed out, Eby’s pledge is nothing more than a “carbon tax flip-flop,” exposing a lack of coherent climate policy and a willingness to sacrifice principle for political expediency.

News: B.C. will scrap consumer carbon tax if Ottawa drops requirement

The same holds true for Jagmeet Singh, who has recently begun distancing himself from carbon pricing, despite its prominence in the NDP’s platform as recently as 2021. In a move that reeks of political posturing, Singh’s comments criticizing both the Liberal and Conservative approaches to climate policy hint at an NDP retreat on this critical issue. As one reader comment from The National Observer suggests, this shift reveals a leader more concerned with not alienating potential voters than standing up for what is right. Rather than defending carbon pricing as an essential measure to combat climate change, Singh seems more inclined to let the Conservatives set the agenda, leaving progressives scrambling to salvage credibility on the environment.

Even the Biden-Harris administration in the U.S., once a beacon of environmental ambition with its backing of the Green New Deal, has shown troubling signs of retreat, particularly around fracking and carbon policies. While they have avoided outright carbon pricing initiatives, their recent stance on energy policies reflects the same political dilemma faced by their Canadian counterparts: how to balance the urgency of climate action with the fear of losing voters beholden to fossil fuel interests. Kamala Harris, for instance, has softened her previously strong stance on fracking, a clear indication that political survival is beginning to outweigh environmental conviction.

At the heart of this issue lies a glaring failure of leadership. Politicians like Eby, Crombie, and Singh have been swayed by Pierre Poilievre’s populist rhetoric, which frames the carbon tax as an economic burden rather than a climate solution. His ability to simplify a complex policy into an easy-to-chant slogan like “Axe the Tax” has resonated with a population grappling with inflation and rising living costs. But this is where true leadership should shine: not by succumbing to the winds of populism but by standing firm in the face of it. Instead, these former champions of carbon pricing have chosen to follow the crowd, leaving a leadership vacuum at a time when bold action is needed most.

News: Carbon tax’s future uncertain as Parliament returns

As one commenter in The Toronto Star notes, the Liberals’ communication on carbon pricing has been abysmal. They’ve failed to effectively articulate how the tax-and-rebate system benefits most Canadians, particularly those in lower-income brackets. Mark Carney, a seasoned economist, has criticized the lack of consistent environmental policy and pushed for a stronger approach, yet even his advice seems to be falling on deaf ears as the Liberals falter in the polls. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s recent defence of carbon pricing, while admirable, underscores the Liberals’ struggle to convey the policy’s long-term value. Guilbeault rightly challenges Poilievre’s lack of a meaningful climate plan, but without stronger messaging, the Liberals risk losing not only the policy debate but also the political battle.

It’s not just about carbon pricing—this is about the abandonment of principles in favour of pandering to the lowest common denominator. We’ve seen this before: when the political stakes are high, some leaders would rather compromise their core values than risk losing power. But the climate crisis demands more. As one frustrated citizen remarked, “I lament the day when there was a solid middle that was willing to make tough choices based on real principles in the name of a better future.” This is the tough reality that politicians like Eby, Crombie, and Singh need to face: leadership is not about appeasing critics, it’s about guiding people to make difficult but necessary decisions for the greater good.

News: Carney interested in ‘doing something, not being something,’ he says of adviser role

It’s clear that Poilievre and his allies have tapped into a vein of discontent that resonates with Canadians struggling to make ends meet. But the solution to rising costs is not to dismantle the very policies that aim to mitigate one of the greatest threats to humanity. As Carney said, the carbon tax has served a purpose up until now, but the time may come for a more effective plan. The answer, however, is not to abandon carbon pricing altogether but to find a way to make it work better—for the economy, for the climate, and for Canadians.

If progressive leaders in Canada and beyond continue to abandon the climate cause for political expediency, they will have missed a crucial opportunity to lead. The climate crisis will not wait for the next election cycle, and neither should our leaders. It’s time for them to stop following populists and start leading with vision, integrity, and courage. If they fail to do so, the consequences will be far greater than the loss of a few votes. They will have sacrificed our future on the altar of political convenience. (AI)