McGuinty Liberals toss Dion's Green Shift under the bus!

This is a devastating turn for the Liberals... their Ontario cousins today rejected Dion's "Green Shift" carbon tax.

Ontario Liberal Finance Minister Dwight Duncan from Queen's Park said, “One of the things that I think that would be a mistake right now is massive shifts in tax burden at a time when there's uncertainty."

From the Globe & Mail:

“There's more uncertainty than I would like as Finance Minister,” he said. “And we have to manage our affairs in a way that recognizes that uncertainty.”

But Mr. Duncan is refusing to tip his hand and say exactly how the province will have to tighten its own belt. He said he will announce any measures to cut program spending on Oct. 22, when he releases his fall economic statement.

In the meantime, Mr. Duncan was sharply critical of federal Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's “green shift” plan that would tax carbon emissions to encourage more environmental behaviour and return the revenue in the form of tax cuts.

“One of the things that I think that would be a mistake right now is massive shifts in tax burden at a time when there's uncertainty,” he said.

Mr. Duncan was responding to a recommendation in a report released today by economists at Toronto-Dominion Bank, who suggested the province could raise a new source of revenue by following the lead of British Columbia and introducing a tax on carbon emissions.

But this is the first time that Mr. Dion's Liberal cousins at the Ontario legislature have publicly criticized his plan to combat greenhouse gas emissions. Until now, Premier Dalton McGuinty has attempted to remain non-partisan during the federal campaign for the Oct. 14 election by refusing to endorse the “green shift” plan.

I'm sure this is not the kind of news Mr. Dion wants to hear right before the debates.

Now that McGuinty & Co. have rejected it, I must give credit to the Premier for yet again taking a stand on behalf of Ontarians.  (yet another reason why he's going to be the Premier of this province for a good long while... unless, of course, he applies for the upcoming opening in the OLO...)