Hearn concerned about impacts of a carbon tax

Letter to the editor - Dear Editor:

Like all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I am proud of our province's economic position. We lead the country in growth, and there is good news here at home when you look at average family incomes, the housing market, and retail sales.

Our government has worked hard to create conditions that allow our province to prosper, and ensure Canada is well positioned to weather the challenges of uncertain economic times. We have lowered taxes, particularly for individuals and small businesses, to help create an environment where investment and hard work reward entrepreneurs and create local jobs. We have aggressively paid off government debt and cut the GST to ensure that you can keep more of your hard-earned money.

We created the $1 billion Community Development Trust for one-industry towns experiencing hardship. We are investing close to a half a billion dollars in our province's infrastructure and adding a new ferry to the Marine Atlantic fleet, both of which are key to support growth across the province.

Until recently, I thought the scariest thing about the Liberal Party of Canada was their affiliation with friends of Paul Watson. Now, Liberal leader Stephane Dion has followed up on his wild spending promises of at least $62.5 billion with a scheme that aims to max out the national credit card and further threatens our economy and your financial situation. Mr. Dion is proposing to dip into your pockets to pay for his reckless spending with a carbon tax.

Mr. Dion himself previously insisted that he would always oppose a carbon tax, knowing that it would have devastating consequences. Now, he and his Newfoundland and Labrador caucus - Gerry Byrne, Scott Simms, Todd Russell and Bill Matthews - want you to pay more for the necessities in life, like heating your home. This would be difficult for everyone, but devastating for many seniors and others on fixed incomes.

Experts have said that for a carbon tax to effectively drop demand for fuel at the pumps, it needs to be at least 25 to 50 cents extra per litre. What will that do to fishermen in our province? What will that do to the cost of taking the ferry from Sydney to Port aux Basques?

What impact would a carbon tax have on the oil and gas industry that is currently driving Newfoundland and Labrador's economic fortune? Would it slow down production?

Could it force us back into "have not" status?

During a recent speech, Mr. Dion used the phrase "your planet or your wallet". When the next election comes, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will have to ask themselves if they really believe that another tax grab will be good for their wallet, and whether it will actually do anything to help the environment. Based on the Liberal record of abusing tax dollars and lack of action on the environment, it doesn't bode well for Newfoundland and Labrador or for the rest of the country.

Loyola Hearn

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and

Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador