Sun, May 30, 2004
Source: http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Edmonton/Neil_Waugh/2004/05/30/478693.html

Dangerous Jack
By Neil Waugh -- For the Edmonton Sun

Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton looks like little more than an afterthought in the federal election.

Despite not actually holding a seat in Parliament yet and shunning the few byelections that have come along, the trendy ex-Toronto city councillor has been given one of the most unprecedented free rides by the national media (Pierre Trudeau aside, of course) in the history of Canada.

It's not surprising, because the country's highest-profile latte-lifter is one of their kind.
 
But with the New Democratic Party hovering at their traditional 17% in the polls with little or no growth potential, Layton hardly shows up on the radar in these parts.

Well, he should. Because the cynical lefty, who somehow reckons he can raise $60 billion by taxing the rich out of the country, could be the most destructive force Albertans have had to face so far.

And if the election continues to head in the way it's presently going, he could have the hammer to inflict the worst economic mayhem on Albertans since the dark days of Trudeau's national energy program. Maybe worse.

Because at least that was nothing more than a tax grab.

Layton's environmental policy document is an ideological manifesto that's specifically designed to strike at Alberta's economic heart.

As usual with the socialists, it attempts to talk down to us.

In it we're told that "Canadians stand on the brink of a transformational choice."

We can either "embrace the world's green energy revolution" or we "cling to old rhetoric about jobs versus the environment."

Not unexpectedly, Layton's manifesto raises the bogeyman of climate change. And it quickly identifies who the bad guys are: Albertans.

"Do we begin weaning ourselves from our almost complete dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power?" Jack asks. "Or do we do nothing and get hit with overnight changes that will have drastic effects?"

You don't have to guess what Layton's answer is.

And his weapon is Jean Chretien's detested Kyoto greenhouse gas agreement. Prime Minister Paul Martin still hasn't got the guts to tell us how he will implement it despite bragging in the pre-election throne speech about "going beyond" the dirty deal that Chretien sprung on the energy-producing provinces after saying he wouldn't.

Here's Layton's plan.

First, he wants to rev up the old NDP creation of Petro Canada and turn it into a wind, solar, tidal and geothermal company.

"Polluters" would be hit with heavy fines. I suspect any outfit that burns fossil fuels would be considered a polluter in Layton's Brave New World.

But the most sinister proposal of all is the "tax shifting regime" in Layton's plan, where incentives and subsidies would be heaped on so-called "green" energy projects.

"Rather than those that contribute to climate change such as fossil fuels," the NDP document added.

And if you don't think that would have a significant impact, read the next line.

"Implementation would be sensitive to and include negotiated adjustments for regional economic impacts, maturity of sectors and establishment of compensating strategies."

And overnight, Alberta could go from the engine of the Canadian economy to a basket-case province relying on federal handouts from Comrade Jack.

There will be a "transition fund" for energy workers and their communities. In other words, oilpatch welfare.

And "assistance" will be provided to "coal-dependent" provinces to close their coal-fired power plants.

So where will all the extra juice come from?

Manitoba and Quebec Hydro, of course, through the east-west power grid that Jack wants to build.

"Aggressive" funding will be provided for public transit and railroads.

Alberta's "unlimited" gas exports to the U.S. will also be shut off.

But not to worry, right? Layton is at 17%. But if we end up with a minority government whom do the power-hungry Liberals turn to to maintain their divine right to government?

Their socialist soulmates in the NDP, of course. And Jack Layton could easily get to use his environmental hammer on us.