Thursday, December 14, 2006

If they win, I hope the Liberals follow through...

Here's an excerpt from a story that ran in today's Globe and Mail, written by Alexander Penetta. It has Stéphane Dion saying he'll review all the juicy tax breaks the big oil companies get each year. I want to believe him so badly. But I won't get my hopes up just yet.

OTTAWA — Stéphane Dion says he will review tax breaks for the Alberta oil sands if he becomes prime minister and will only reward companies that meet environmental standards.
The Liberal leader said he would not impose a tax on gasoline, but would use other fiscal measures to encourage green technology.
Alberta's oil patch receives an estimated $1.4 billion in annual tax breaks through a program designed to encourage new capital projects.
He said the Accelerated Capital Cost Program, designed a decade ago to help the then-fledgling industry, is outdated and needs to be revamped.
“We will revisit it completely,” Mr. Dion told a news conference Thursday.
“Instead of an economy based on waste, we will have an economy based on recycling, on the best environmental technologies available.”
His pledge reflected positions that the NDP and environmental groups have long promoted.
Mr. Dion attempted to cut short any suggestion that the moves would be perceived as anti-Alberta.
He pointed out that former premiers Peter Lougheed and Ralph Klein, as well as Reform party founder Preston Manning, have all called for a move toward green technology....

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