Most people would regard an independent budgetary officer as a welcome addition to the Parliamentary process. I agree that the Tories are trying to emasculate him but his arrogance and apparent unwillingness to develop political allies are losing him support even among the opposition. I hope the job doesn't disappear entirely since he has been a useful check on some dubious forecasts coming from the Finance Department.
How many times have Liberal and Conservative governments offered plans to fight global warming? Have you ever seen a credible analysis of what any of those plans would cost – in lost jobs, in lost productivity, in carbon credits purchased or taxes raised?
You haven't. No government, and no opposition party, has seen fit to put a price on greenhouse-gas reduction. Instead, they go on about new technologies and green jobs.
The Parliamentary Budget Office is ready and willing to cost the current Conservative plan to reduce emissions by 20 per cent from 2006 levels, not later than 2020. They could get started tomorrow. The problem is, there's no money. The PBO's whole budget for this fiscal year is only $2.8-million, and may well end up being a million dollars less.
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