In response to Mr. Perras's comments on the carbon tax program, I would like to point out a few things he deliberately left out or misrepresented. He seems pleased to be getting a cheque but he misses the point as the carbon tax collected is supposed to go to offsetting carbon dioxide emissions and is not for redistributing wealth. If he was truly in favour of the program, he would return his $154 to the NDP government to use to build additional renewable energy sources. Instead, he pockets it and proclaims we should stop complaining. The truth for the people of Cochrane, and most of us that choose to live in rural Alberta, is that the tax is a big cost to families. We don't live in small apartments or only go through one tank of gas per month. We have homes to heat, kids to transport to school and any number of activities and commutes to the city for work. Our family typically uses a couple of tanks of gas per week, we have two single-family homes to heat and power and buy more groceries than a single retiree. A tax that is not used for its advertised purpose is simply an egregious tax we shouldn't have to pay. This carbon tax damages the economy while changing nothing in the global environment. As Albertans, we produce oil and gas in a highly regulated and environmentally responsible manner. Global oil and natural gas consumption is forecast to increase for at least the next 30 years and Canada has an opportunity to be a large part of that growth. The taxes and royalties generated from that production goes a long way to funding our increasing social program costs. Prematurely shutting down our industry because of a social cause will only end up harming Albertans and Canadians. As an economist, I am surprised that Mr. Perras does not understand how our Alberta economy works and how we were a driving force in the Canadian economy before many gave into the environmental scaremongering. I will campaign vigorously to defend our right to insist that governments be transparent and responsible with the money I work very hard to earn and the taxes I am required to pay. I am not a whiner as Mr. Perras suggests, I am simply an Albertan that demands better of our government. Bob Lee
