Riderfan_lee

Just thought I would post this. Propping up the economy and its dependency on oil is not a good solution to rising gas prices. Why not take the lost income from the reduction in tax and put it towards programs that work towards reducing consumption of oil. Bah!

https://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/natio...kay060419.html

ignominious

We should find a way to link petrol tax to the pay of MPs and senior civil servant. Bet there would be no tax breaks then.

jeff-o

I don't think governments are capable of looking that far ahead anymore. Or maybe the population wants quick fixes more than a sustainable future?

Brad M

Conservatives

kc9eog

What concerns me is when gasoline goes high enough to actually cause a reduction in consumption, then the pressure on the politicians will be enormous to put a cap on the price of gas. The immediate shortage of gas would cut back driving more than high prices, but the real issues here still would not be dealt with.

mtnroads

Right, they are distorting the market signals that are necessary to move industry and individuals to invest further in conservation and renewables. Instead of taxing income (a good thing), we should be taxing fossil fuel usage (a bad thing) through a carbon tax applied to all carbon-based fuels. Those who have proposed a carbon tax have suggested this very concept - lowering the income tax to compensate so that it is roughly revenue-neutral to the government and those who conserve would pay less in overall tax burden than before. Those who waste would pay more every time they fill up.

patc

It's Harper. It's the Conservatives. What did you expect? Their whole platform essentially consists of buying votes.

Riderfan_lee

Honestly that guy scares me.....a lot.....his announcement of censorship of civil servats and preventing from speaking against the party line or lose their jobs crap is really scary. And this announcement of cracking down on criminals, I can see being good for dangerous criminals and major crimes but reversing the marijuana laws and other petty crimes that will turn into jail time as a result....yikes. Getting scary.

But that is neither here nor there. I expected them to be bad but not this bad. I would have thought they would have been controlled somewhat considering they have a minority but it doesn't seem to be the case.

genericbikedude

Whatever. You Canucks are going to make buttloads of money when the price of oil rises high enough that your tar sands become profitable, and the permafrost melts exposing them. Plus, you'll have a warmer climate and more agricultural land.

genericbikedude

Whatever. You Canucks are going to make buttloads of money when the price of oil rises high enough that your tar sands become profitable, and the permafrost melts exposing them. Plus, you'll have a warmer climate and more agricultural land.

Sir Lunch-a-lot

I don't get why you all seem to think Harper is cutting the gas taxes. Apparently, it was the election campaign before this one that he made that promise, so technically it doesn't apply. If you read the posted article, Harper basically said that we'd have to suck it up. "The truth of the matter is higher gas prices – that's going to be something that we're going to have to get used to." The only tax cut we're getting is the proposed 1% GST cut that applys to everything, not just gas.

I imagine that either way it goes, people are going to complain about it. People will complain that cutting taxes isn't a good solution for the problem, and when they don't cut taxes they will complain that not cutting taxes is a bad idea, and that the government is evil for not doing so. Gaah! Well, I hope that Harper already realises that there is no way that he will please everyone. So far, I think he's doing a good job. Better than our last 2 P.M's anyway, as far as I'm concerned. I could go on and on, showing my very opinionated side of politics, but that would take this topic even further off topic than it already is.

But this sudden spike in gas prices makes me glad that the novelty of having my drivers licence is wearing off. I'm trying to put more miles on my new bicycle, and to get in better shape this lovely spring, so I guess when I suddenly have to start paying for my own gas, it won't be as big a shock to the system to use the car even less.

patc

Don't be so sure... we have let our economy become heavily based on imports, and imports need fuel to get from there to here. Did the groceries yesterday -plenty of fruit and veggies from California, Florida, and even Mexico but not all that much from here in Ontario. Ok, its early spring, but we do know how to build greenhouses! Even the venerable Hudson's Bay Company - older than the country itself - is now largely US-owned. US owned retailers often import more goods from the US vs. selling local.

I'm not one to weep at the "evils of the global economy" and I do think foreign investment has its place. I just think we Canadians have grown too comfortable importing things we could make at home, and the cost/benefit ratio is about to do a 180 (if it hasn't already).

Good day, that will be $1 for the tomatoe, plus $2.50 for shipping...."

genericbikedude

So you are saying that Canada will rely on foreign capital to take advantage of tar sands and global warming, and all of the profits will be repatriated?

gboy

Yes, the Chinese are currently buying up energy companies left, right and centre in Alberta.