Canadian politics has become a series of flip flops this past week.
Justin Trudeau’s flip flop on the carbon tax for select heating oil fuel that is mostly benefiting the Maritime provinces is causing an even stranger flip flop.
Kevin Falcon, who kicked John Rustad out of the BC United Caucus for his skeptical views on climate change, has now flip flopped on carbon taxes. Falcon now seems to agree with Rustad. From my recollection, Rustad was standing up for rural British Columbians who shoulder an unfair burden of carbon tax, as they travel longer distances to access health care, other services and colder temperatures also add higher cost with carbon tax being applied on larger bills caused by colder temperatures and longer distances. Added costs to rural farmers and rural resource industries are also threatening the livelihoods of rural British Columbians. Carbon taxes are a triple whammy to rural British Columbians.
Heat pumps do not work in places like Fraser Lake when it is below -20 C. Electric vehicles as per discussions with a local car dealer are also a poor choice. When parked outside in cold weather the battery gets drawn down even when not in use. I was told that I would need a heated garage to store an EV pickup if I happened to have the $100,000-plus to buy one. Having a heated garage would add more heat and CO2 to the atmosphere. Side point: the high price of EV pickups pushes them into the 12 percent luxury tax level, another added tax for rural British Columbians.
A suggestion for Falcon: maybe kick yourself out of the BC United party and join Rustad as a BC Conservative.
It is becoming easily apparent that all that carbon taxes do is raise the cost of living, especially in rural areas.
David Eby and the NDP are just as out of touch with the reality of what the resource sector does for B.C. and Canada, as Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada are out of touch with the contributions of resource revenue to Canadians as a whole.
Trudeau, who had a really bad week, or perhaps a bad October, should just think about resigning.
Some hope left for Falcon and Rustad.
Falcon appears to have seen the light and the triple whammy of carbon tax inflation.
Rustad is way in front of Falcon.
Wayne Martineau
Fraser Lake
