That’s the message we’re hearing from Liberal leadership contenders Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff. According to the National Post:
Liberal leadership candidates Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff would ditch the Green Shift carbon tax, outgoing leader Stephane Dion’s signature policy, on grounds it was rejected by voters on election day.
The two Toronto MPs said on separate occasions this week–Mr. Rae likened the Green Shift to “cod liver oil” — that the Grits have to go back to the drawing board to replace their plan to tax diesel and other fossil fuels and redistribute the revenue in tax cuts.
Apparently the need for immediate action on climate change that was a central plank of the Liberal’s last election is not nearly as important as the next leader of the Liberal party getting to sit in the PMO.
Bob Rae was especially glib:
Mr. Rae said Liberals have to listen to voters — “If they ain’t buying it, you gotta stop selling it” –and he said the party has to be more practical.
So much for the “principled” party that brought us the constitution and charter. One wonders if sometimes, in the deepest reaches of their conscience, politicians like Rae and Ignatieff realize just how slimy they’re being.
To recap, the Green Shift that was going to save us all from a global environmental armageddon is out, primarily because voters didn’t buy it. The Liberals, under either of the current front-runners for the leadership, will instead be all about finding something they can sell to the electorate.
Sadly, when it comes to elections its pretty hard to get a refund. Hopefully Canadians will remember Rae/Ignatieff pushing Liberal “principles” under the bus when the writ gets dropped.
- Rafael.
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