Saturday, December 10, 2016

This Climate Change Weekend In Clarkland...Politically Expedient Until The End.


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From Campbell Clark's Globe report on Mr. Trudeau's climate change summit thingy:

...The climate-change summit with the premiers was to mark the culmination of Mr. Trudeau’s first full year of prime ministership, sealing it with a pan-Canadian deal on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. It’s a big deal. Unprecedented. The PM’s aides had so-called stakeholders, such as environmental groups, lined up to praise the agreement. And Mr. Trudeau was expecting to take a bow at 5:30 p.m.

Then Ms. Clark stole the limelight. She is months away from an election, and was arguing the deal was unfair to B.C. She claimed her province’s $30-a-tonne carbon tax is twice as costly as the cap-and-trade price that Ontarians and Quebeckers will pay. And B.C., she said, wouldn’t sign on to a deal that would raise carbon taxes to $50 in 2022 – as Mr. Trudeau insists – unless all provinces will pay the same...




Which is bad enough, right?

But then there is the following, noted by the reporter/not columnist Mr. Campbell and his editor(s):

...(Clark's) claim that B.C’s carbon price would be double Ontario’s was exaggerated, and angry federal Liberals claimed it was trotted out at the last minute so Ms. Clark could play to the small-c conservatives whose support she needs in next May’s election. Her performance upset the Trudeau government’s careful staging.

In the end, the differences were covered over in a deal to have an independent study of whether B.C.’s carbon tax is equivalent to Ontario and Quebec’s cap-and-trade system, to be done by 2020 – after the first ministers’ re-election campaigns. The compromise also includes language that B.C. could “determine its own path” to reducing its emissions after 2022 based on the results – so Ms. Clark claimed she won’t have to raise carbon taxes unless other provinces face the same burden.

Ms. Clark had made her point. Her threat to hold up the deal allowed her to stand up on camera and say she fought for her province to get a fair deal...



And, given all that, how will the local puffed-up proMedia punditry (for whom the play was designed) respond?

Well...

Assuming he didn't phone it in Thursday, I reckon we might get a preview of that response in Mikey-Mike's column tomorrow.

OK?


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8 comments:

e.a.f. said...

and for that event she work her brand new red jacket. so far we have seen the white knight suit for fent. overdoses go to Ottawa, two varieties of blue suites and now the red jacket. an we must be going to an election.

perhaps her ex arranged this little show for the press.

It was fun to watch her while she watched another premier speak while Premier Ontario was sitting on the other side. talk about smile, fade smile, o.k. bring that smile back and then the wince.

Anonymous said...

Going for the flag look?

KFB said...

Heard her on CBC'S The House this AM, the interviewer said it only took 10 minutes to do the deal after she decided to get her face in front the proceeding. She was really caught off guard and stammered that it was more that 10 minutes to which the interviewer responded, it was really only 10 minutes to do this stupendous deal. Than it was on to the usual "you know","here's the deal" and " I've said this all along" BS and on and on. And we think the gullibles that voted for Trump were under the table when brains were handed out.

Crankypants said...

Some realtors "stage homes".

Some politicians "stage events".

In both cases one must look beyond the glossy trappings.

Anonymous said...

Manufacturing consent?

Anonymous said...

In the G&M:

" Mr. Trudeau was willing all along to meet her demands and dismissed her public statement as a “stunt.” "

Yes it was a stunt. Reality...... CC agreed to end freeze on BC's carbon tax & hike it to $50/ton in next 6 years.

"We have proven over eight long years of doing this, that having a carbon tax doesn't have to hurt the economy," said Clark.

“B.C.’s economy did not collapse due to the carbon tax, but nor did it grow faster than its neighbours,” Lee writes.

In fact, Alberta’s gross domestic product growth from 2010 to 2014 was 22% and Saskatchewan’s 15% compared to B.C.’s lagging 11%.

Who do you believe ? Are we just ATM's to the Liberals ?

Guy in Victoria

Anonymous said...

A Little Simple Logic Destroys Their Claims?

Unknown said...

Let's not kid ourselves, this is just a tax grab. It will do nothing for the environment.