I subscribe to, the notion that past behavior is a predictor of future events. Nothing in the Liberals passed musings about a possible carbon tax, has given me the impression that they have totally given up on this idea.

In the light of recent events, I thought it was worth revisiting what other liberals have said about a carbon tax.


“And, Miller’s report adds it is time to discuss putting a price on carbon by undertaking a formal review to compare the merits of emissions trading and a carbon tax.”




Gord Miller  Ontario’s environment commissioner 
Tue Jun 01 2010 Toronto Star




“An early and clear price signal is needed to influence the investment decisions by industry in the technology and innovation required to achieve deep reductions.”….This is the time to move the discussion ahead. There is a huge sense of urgency,”


 Cabinet minister  Glenn Murray 
Reuters published onMon Jan 7, 2008




“It is time for all of us to start to get comfortable with two words: Carbon tax. Without it, all these dreams of a green tomorrow are hallucinations.” (Glen Murray, Toronto Star, May 27 2007).




“I have looked at increasing taxes in some areas. For example, I argued for moving toward more carbon taxation.” (Jack Mintz, The
Agenda With Steve Paikin, February 23, 2011).


fast forward to minute 9:49 in the video to hear the quote

Ontario’s energy minister Dave Levac has some explaining to do.

Question: Glen Murray, Eric Davis and several other Liberal candidates have advocated for a carbon tax – given the success of the carbon tax in BC, is this something you will also advocate for if re-elected?
Dave Levac: It’s being reviewed and some of my colleagues are more enthusiastic for it than others. Our present policies are leading us to a carbonfootprint reduction already. At this time its not part of our platform.
Question: Just to clarify, if a carbon tax is being reviewed does that mean there’s a possibility it would appear in the next 4 years if the Liberals were re¬ elected? It seems like a really progressive policy to help supplement the Green Energy Act.
Dave Levac: Jim: Yes there is a possibility that a carbon tax is on the table to evaluate, because it presently is.

McGuinty, who initially opposed a carbon tax, said Liberal Leader Stephane Dion’s “green shift” plan is still a good idea, even though it could slap a hefty bill on emissions from Ontario’s four coal-fired generation plants.”

Premier Dalton McGuinty

Either the minister is out of line or  Dalton has not abandoned  the idea of a  carbon tax in Ontario.

I could raise the scary specter of a coalition in Ontario, instead I will settle for the fact that this gives us even more reason to soundly defeat the Liberals.

From National Post

the prospect of Ms. Horwath’s NDP holding the balance of power in a minority government is one that should not be taken lightly by the province’s voters. The NDP, its platform says, would undo the corporate-tax reductions that have been the focus of the Liberals’ competitiveness agenda. It would embrace Buy Ontario schemes. It would remove the HST from electricity and heating bills, which is not terribly consistent with its plan to encourage public transit use by freezing fares. (Speaking of inconsistent, it would also cap gasoline prices.)
As detrimental to the economy as any of these things would be, consider as well the prospect of Mr. McGuinty being at the negotiating table when the NDP outlined its conditions for support. The Premier, to put it bluntly, is a turtler. Whether it’s proposals for a natural gas plant in Oakville, changes to the sexual education curriculum, or the province’s remarkably supple rates and times that form part of its peak-timing electricity-price plan, Mr. McGuinty has shown a distinct flair for backing away from a fight.
It’s enough to make one suspect Ms. Horwath would relish sitting across from Mr. McGuinty at minority-government bargaining time. Accept these terms, sir, or I will ask again that you do so.