Andrea Horwath, MPP , Leader of the Official Opposition – August 1, 2019

Dear Ms Horwath

Re: New Green Democratic Deal

JustEarth  members were pleased to see the plan given a strong target, at least 50% reductions (below 2005 levels) by 2030, net-zero by 2050, and given prominence at the convention. We like the “net zero” language and positive discussion on job creation. We were pleased to see the session on the “climate emergency.” Indeed.

However, on carbon tax, we were disappointed with your remarks. The carbon tax has been endorsed by major economists as well as environmentalists around the world.  We cannot see how any reasonable person with climate change concerns could want to categorize it as a “difficult discussion” for later.

A carbon tax has always been the preferred choice of JustEarth and most climate activists. The Wynne government’s cap and trade policy was, admittedly, quite good (some cap and trade schemes do little). However, the Liberal scheme was junked by the Ford government, and it is not clear at all  that the Liberals would bring it back if back in government (it took some considerable work to put it in place). We say it is ESSENTIAL for the NDP to support, publicly, a carbon tax as part of its GHG emissions reduction plan. SOON.

We note, also, that the NDP has a bad record on the carbon tax and was punished at the polls in B.C. as a result, when it ran on “Axe the tax.” The then Liberal government was re-elected and the NDP lost the next 2 elections after that. The current NDP government under John Horgan, is now fully committed to a carbon tax. The Notley government in Alberta brought in a carbon tax, scrapped by the new United Conservative Party. Sadly, the NDP in Saskatchewan, historically progressive, opposed carbon tax from the beginning (under Roy Romanow). The carbon tax should be given the usual Canadian name, not the American “fee and dividend”.

We would be pleased to see the NDP champion related climate issues, such as the creation of an all-party committee on climate change—we have some ideas as to how this could help move debate in the province. Also, the need for a course on climate change in the secondary school curriculum. As the Official Opposition, the NDP could help promote steps in this direction.

We look forward to discuss in these issues with MPPs in the near future.

Yours  sincerely

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