The carbon tax proposed by Liberal leader Stéphane Dion would forever alter the life of every Canadian for the worse.

This ill-conceived tax pretends to decrease environmental harm by making the prohibitive cost of fossil fuels even higher. A carbon tax would cripple the economy and still fail to protect the environment, because polluters could purchase the right to increase their fuel consumption. The carbon tax is a bad idea because it serves only to extract money straight from the taxpayers’ pocket.

Imagine paying an additional tax every time you drive your car or tractor. Or heat your house. Or plug in your radio. Or shower with hot water. Or cut your grass. Or barbeque in the backyard. Now imagine paying more for food because transportation costs will go up. And, imagine cancelling your vacation plans because the cost of a bus ride or plane trip has been hiked out of sight.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says Dion’s carbon tax will hurt consumers and small businesses. The Atlantic Trucking Association predicts the cost of food will soar. Closer to home, it is likely that jobs will be lost in manufacturing, agriculture and the energy sector as escalating consumer costs reduce demand. Attracting new business from outside our borders will become virtually impossible because we won’t be able to compete with Mexico, India and China to create new jobs.

Does the carbon tax plan have any redeeming features? Not really – and Stéphane Dion knows it. He is on record as saying it is a bad environmental policy and promised he wouldn’t advocate it as recently as October 2007. If Dion knows a carbon tax gives polluters an unlimited licence to pollute, why does he want it?

The Liberals need money to pay for tens of billions of dollars worth of non-budgetary spending promises that would plunge Canada deep into debt. Does this strike a familiar chord from days gone by? It is irresponsible to pay for election promises on the backs of fixed income seniors and families who are trying to get ahead. It is wrongheaded policy that would cause farmers to pay more for fuel that is already more expensive than ever before. A carbon tax is the brainchild of a political party that is out of ideas, and it is made worse by trying to sell it as a green initiative to protect the environment.

The official opposition needs to realize that Canadians are not that gullible. We are a people who demand real environmental protection. We are also a people who will reject an irrational tax hike to pay for promises that will never be kept.

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The audio version of Garry's June 23, 2008 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here