Prime Minister Justin Trudeausa国际传媒 carbon tax should be tucked under his arm while he doesn鈥檛 let the door hit him on the way out.
And Liberal caucus members need to make sure that happens.
Those in doubt need to ask themselves two questions.
Practically, why should Canadians keep paying the carbon tax for another few months before the next election?
Politically, why should government MPs keep paying a price with voters because of the carbon tax?
The carbon tax can be slayed during the Liberal partysa国际传媒 upcoming emergency caucus meeting.
Caucus finally rose up and forced the prime minister to face the reality that he can鈥檛 get re-elected.
But thatsa国际传媒 only half of the job.
The problem isn鈥檛 just one person. Itsa国际传媒 the policies. And Trudeausa国际传媒 trademark carbon tax is one of his biggest failures. Replacing the PM while keeping the carbon tax is like switching the blackjack dealer while still facing a stacked deck.
And the Liberal caucus knows this.
Those Liberal MPs have been yelled at by their constituents about the carbon tax for years.
Hardworking people have been telling these MPs they can鈥檛 afford the carbon tax and itsa国际传媒 unfair to be punished for driving to work, heating their homes and buying food.
Those MPs have seen their constituents鈥 heating bills, the costs of their commutes and the invoices for their businesses.
They know the carbon tax adds about $13 to the cost of filling a minivan and about $20 extra to fill a pickup. They know the carbon tax is costing long haul truckers about $2 billion this year and they know it will cost farmers $1 billion in the next five years.
They know Canada misses its emissions targets, even with the carbon tax.
And heresa国际传媒 the big one: these MPs know the carbon tax is getting hiked on April 1.
The timeline has to be terrifying for Liberals seeking re-election.
March 24, the House of Commons reconvenes. The government presents its Throne speech and immediately starts facing confidence votes with all opposition parties promising to vote against the government.
Then, on April 1, the government raises the carbon tax again.
Imagine door knocking after losing a confidence vote and raising the carbon tax.
Imagine being an MP from southern Ontario and a greenhouse tomato grower walks into your office with a chart showing his carbon tax costs.
Imagine trying to tell that farmer that he 鈥済ets more back鈥 than he pays in the carbon tax.
Picture being an MP from Halifax and telling your constituents they need to buy an electric heat pump as their sole source of winter warmth before the carbon tax slaps them again.
Nova Scotia has charming weather events such as ice fog which seeps into a house like a ghost from a Dickens novel. So, most Maritime folks still need a furnace and Trudeausa国际传媒 carbon tax punishes them. These MPs have all been hollered at by their constituents who have been wounded by the carbon tax.
No matter how much the MPs may have pleaded with Trudeau behind closed doors, he kept the carbon tax and forced his MPs to defend it.
Trudeau tied this millstone to the necks of his MPs and didn鈥檛 care how much it ground them down.
But hesa国际传媒 leaving now.
And these Liberal MPs have the opportunity to cut the rope and free themselves from Trudeausa国际传媒 carbon tax.
The Liberal caucus need to demand an end to carbon tax.. now.
Why should they force Canadians to keep muttering profanities when they fill up their cars or pay the carbon tax charges on their heating bills?
Why should Liberal MPs face day after day of berating phone calls from constituents who don鈥檛 buy PMO talking points about the carbon tax?
The least they can do is spare Canadians the cost of the carbon tax right now and try to do the right thing in the end.
Kris Sims is the Alberta Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
