The NDP claims to be working for the average Canadian, yet their policies are way out of touch. Furthermore, their plans for dealing with Canada’s growing dependence on gas and Canada’s management of this resource are ill-conceived.
Consider this statement attributed to NDP MP Yvon Godin today. According to the Globe and Mail, “Godin said it is time for Canada to act like a federation by sharing energy resources internally at lower prices”.
Godin mused “Are we a country or are we not? Maybe Alberta is upset about it, but right now the whole country is upset that the price of oil is too high … When we have a province that has a problem, we ask the federal government to help. When a province is doing good, they say we want to be alone and leave us to all our money. Then what is a country?”
Are Mr. Godin and the NDP advocating for the creation of NEP 2?
So, what is the NDP’s stance on lowering the price at the pumps?
According to a policy document on the NDP website, the NDP wants to “Stop tilting the marketplace towards unsustainable fuel and, over four years, shift government subsidies away from unsustainable fuels towards renewable ones”.
While idealists might agree that this is a good idea, the technology isn’t there yet in practical terms for all Canadians. The NDP fixation on implementing the Kyoto protocol (an environmental accord with a wealth transfer program hidden underneath) will do no more than the Conservative environmental plan than transfer billions to developing countries in “hot air” credits. This annual loss will translate to a significant added cost at the pumps and will increase the cost of living for average working Canadians and their families. Now, depending on who you are, you might think that this is a fantastic idea. But then you’d be out of touch with the average working Canadian.