IGNATIEFF CAN’T RUN FROM THE CARBON TAX

Michael Ignatieff is taking his campaign to rewrite history into British Columbia this week.

While in BC, he will try to wipe clean the historical record of his signature economic policy idea – the Liberal carbon tax.

Michael Ignatieff has been calling for energy taxes like a carbon tax since at least 1991 when he was living outside of Canada.

He continued to support a carbon tax after he returned to Canada with the sole purpose of being crowned Prime Minister.  He was the first Liberal leadership candidate to push the carbon tax and as recently as May of 2008 he was taking credit for pushing the Liberals to adopt the so-called Green Shift.

And today, in the midst of a major global recession, the carbon tax still remains the only major economic idea that Mr. Ignatieff has championed in his political career.

The Facts on Michael Ignatieff’s Carbon Tax

He was the first to call for energy taxes:

• “Taxes have to rise; there is no other way”  — Ignatieff on using higher taxes as “solutions” for the environment (Kingston Whig-Standard, June 10, 1991)

He campaigned for leader on imposing a carbon tax:

• “We’ve also got to have popular, practical, believable policies that may involve some form of carbon tax, for example, to increase the penalties on emissions. The time for action really is now”  — Ignatieff during a Liberal leadership debate (Globe and Mail, June 15, 2006)

He took credit for pushing Stéphane Dion to embrace a carbon tax:

• Craig Oliver: “Now you were the first leader, as a candidate [for] leader, to talk about a carbon tax and you took a little bit [of] heat for that.  Do you still believe in a carbon tax? Of course you do.

  Michael Ignatieff: “I do Craig.  I learned that there’s no punishment more severe in politics than being the first guy with a good idea but I’m glad, I’m glad our party seems to be moving that way.” (CTV Question Period – May 25, 2008)

During a global recession the last thing Canada needs is a job-killing carbon tax that would disproportionately hurt working families and seniors living on fixed incomes.

Michael Ignatieff can try to run from his carbon tax record, but he cannot hide from it.  He is very much the Father of the Liberal Carbon Tax.  Canadians will not be fooled.