Do you agree with Stephen Harper that Stéphane Dion's Green Shift plan will threaten national unity? (Poll Closed)

I would like the candidates to tell me/canadian people what they are going to do for the citizen of this great country and not attacking each other, it just turn me off complete from these negative comments on the othes.

I think the poll question is phrased to hurt Dion and help Harper. You are using the double negative, folks!

If it does threaten national unity it may be in Alberta or Saskatchewan. These people out are pretty small mind since the national energy program. I think Mr Harper does more harm to national unity than anthing else ie to start Quebec is nation within Canada wait till the Party of Quebec in and runs with that

So far, Harper has been imitating the time proven tactics of Rove and Co. Attack with lies early and often. I have to agree with the previous three comments, particularly not dealing with the issues that are paramount to average Canadians.

I believe that Dion's Green Shift will encourage Green Technology and fuel the economy, without relying on the heavily subsidized oil fields. Perhaps the money used to subsidize the oil industry could be used to equalize welfare and worker's compensation payments in Ontario. ( To bring them in line with the rest of the country, who receive more money). Using scare tactics about the economy is a BIG gamble for Harper, because as David Suzuki says, 'GLOBAL WARMING IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE WORLD TODAY", and by ignoring it, Harper's shortsightedness and short term greed will shove Canada even further back on the world stage. Let's get it together CANADA, and be at the forefront of The New World Order. Harper campaigns are so negative, that he must think the Canadian people are composed of morons. Does he think we do not see through him?

What has Harper done for the Environment? NOTHING! Rome is burning, folks. We need environmental action now.

Dion's "Carbon Green" will no more hurt Canada's unity than any of Harper's lies and the media's phrasing everything in favour of Harper.

This tax is designed to take from the West (High employment, Higher Wages) and redistribute the money to areas with Higher unemployment and lower wages. He is also indirectly advocating that rural Canadians are bad people because they must drive a vehicle whereas city folk have access to public transportation. The third thing that bothers me about this tax is that the concept of taxing natural gas and furnace oil is nothing but a tax grab as Canadians need to heat their homes in the winter. We all can't move to Florida or Arizona for 180 days every year. It should be noted that no government subsidizes the oil patch. The oil companies do recieve tax benfits for capital expenditures not unlike any other company in any other industry.

First Curt Your comments suit your name so many negatives!! Like all other suggestions by poloticians they never come about the way they say if ever. Second theis old world and all its people are in grave danger, so lets quit bickering, levelling charges and all do something!

Jarvis, The comment section to the poll question is to enable readers to offer their opinion. I gave my opinion just like you. For what it is worth all the "climate scientists" wer more concerned about the earth cooling. I suggest that you out to relax and or chill out or even better to do both and "chillax".

Jarvis, I should have said In the seventies all the "climate Scientist".....

As Curt correctly notes, the Liberal's carbon tax is really a wealth transfer tax, transferring wealth from Western Canada to Eastern Canada and from rural folks to city folks, most of whom live, guess where - Eastern Canada, where all the Liberal support is. This will certainly strain the fabric of national unity just as the NEP did. The worst thing about it is that it is becoming increasingly obvious from the data that CO2 is not what's driving climate change, so all this taxing will not achieve the stated desired result. CO2-induced climate change would mean that as CO2 levels increase, so do temepratures - but they don't. The data say that while CO2 levels have increased steadily since 1880, surface temepratures have stayed the same (1880-1920), increased (1920-1940), decreased (1940-1970) and increaased after 1970. Furthermore, the lower troposhere temeprature, which should be more sensitive to CO2 levels than the surface temeprature because of the way CO2 is supposed to cause warming, has shown no change since measurements began in 1980 except for a spike around 1998 due to El Nino. CO2-induced climate change would also mean that temepratures rise after CO2 levels - but they don't. Ice cores analyzed by scientists at the Scripps Oceanographic Institue showed that, over the last few millenia, temperatures have risen from 200-1000 years after CO2 levels. This clearly indicates that rising CO2 levels are a result of warming, not a cause. Finally, CO2-induced warming would mean there should be a unique, CO2-specific temperature profile in the atmosphere with temperatures rising from the poles to the equator and from the surface up. This CO2 "fingerprint" is completely absent from the observed data. The one bit of data supporting the CO2 cause for climate change - the "hockey-stick" graph, used by the IPCC to "prove" the relationhip and by a previous Liberal governement to justify signing on to Kyoto - has been shown to be only an artefact of very bad analysis methodology and no longer has any scientific credibility. The most likely cause of climate change now seems to be one suggested last year by Danish scientists whereby variations in cosmic ray intensities cause variations in low level cloud cover. Since low level clouds are very effective reflectors of solar energy (as we all know from having one come between us and the sun), fewer cosmic rays mean less low level cloud cover means more solar radiation reaches the earth's surface means warmer temperatures. The historic cosmic ray intensity profile reconstructed by the Danish scientists using various proxies follows the historic temperature profiles much better than reconstructed temperature profiles. This mechansm is also compatible with all the above-mentioned data since warming occurs by warming the earth's surface and the adjacent atmosphere via conduction/convection rather that by the absorption of re-emitted long wavelenth radiation by CO2 molecules in higher levels of the atmosphere. It is also compatible with the anecdotal observation that over the past 15 years the Northern Lights, also caused by cosmic rays, have gone from spectacular to essentially non-existent. So, while none of the parties have a "climate change" policy based on current science, at least the Conservative's approach will do the least harm to the country in the near term while the rest of the parties- and much of the rest of the population - finally catch up to the science.

Please note an error in my prvious comment. The ice core anlysis showed that the CO2 levels rose 200-1000 years after the temperatures rose.

I have always understood that the basic requirement of a good leader is to learn the art of delegation. Mr. Harper fails miserably in this respect. Are members of the Cabinet puppets ?

Those of us in the west are not small minded....incase you did not notice Calgary was third in the smartest cities article last week!!!! We know when we are being fed a line. Revenue neutral means neutral to the Government not the taxpayers!!! Perhaps you central canadians should think about the international image you want the world to have...Dion is not my choice to put on the international stage. Also a fact that does not get airtime in the media is that the oil and gas industry is front and center in the research and development of cleaner energy and alternative fuel technology. Another point to ponder, over the past three years the oil and gas sector is single handedly responsible for the growth in GDP for the entire country....decimating this industry in the name of the Green Shift would throw the entire country into economic chaos...but what the heck canadian social programs are here to support us anyways so who needs to work, I am all for living on welfare so that the chinese can pollute the world with imunity instead!

Pat W - You do not speak for the people out west. A majority of people out here are concerned about the environment and understand that the Green Shift is not targeted at the west, but targeted at polluters. Stop with the crying and intellectual dishonesty. Westerners will benefit more from this than anybody else if they use their brains. Steven Harper was the first PM of Canada to use attack ads outside of an election, having done this he has opened the pandora's box of 24/7 365 days a year electioneering. He has lowered the bar for Canada. What is Steven Harper's vision for Canada? Read what he wrote and spoke of in his past and it becomes clear. Dion is a man of integrity and honesty. He has worked hard to better his country. He stood up to the separatist in Quebec and been vilified for doing what was right for the country. I'm not Liberal nor Conservative nor NDP nor Green, I believe only idiots would choose to define themselves by a political party. I am voting for the Man/Women who i believe will put their country before their own self-interest. I will be voting for Dion

The green shift plan is bang on the money. It kills three birds with one shot: forces the poluters to inovate, raises money for a tax cut and helps to save the earth

Let's get something straight. CO2 is not a pollutant. It is, in fact, an essential ingrediant for plant life and plant life is the basis for all life on the planet - including human. We either eat plants themselves (cereals, nuts, rice, bread, etc), eat things that eat plants (beef, pork, chicken, etc) or eat things produced by things that eat plants (milk, cheese, eggs, etc). Furthermore, If CO2 is a pollutant, then each and everyone of you guys is a polluter since you produce this simply by living and breathing. On top of that, CO2 is not what's driving cllimate change (see above comment).

We don't need to worry about national unity with Dion, but we do if we give Harper a majority. Let's not forget that whatever the name of the day, Harper' party and underground agenda, of the Conservative, previously know as Alliance, pka Reform, was originally known as the Western Canada Concept. Their platform was Western Separatism, and one of their policy ideas was a fixed election date, which Harper has already passed and then ignored. Kissing babies and wearing cardigans is only window dressing to cover up a bunch of pro-US Western Separatists. I'll never trust him and I hope other Canadians will see through him as well.

I'm in TOTAL AGREEMENT with Premier Danny Williams' statement, Wed Sep 11. I think it is NOW VERY CLEAR, Stephen Harper and his coterie of trained seals cannot be trusted. Premier Danny Williams spoke to assembled Newfoundland and Labradorian dignitaries yesterday. (Wed Sep 11, 2008) The gist of Premier Williams' keynote speech was the Harper government cannot be trusted. To quote Premier Williams: "Stephen Harper’s own campaign literature proclaimed, “There is no greater fraud than a promise not kept.” He used these words as he successfully attempted to woo voters from this province to not vote for the opposing party. Naively we trusted him. He rewarded that trust with a broken promise. According to his own brochure – he is a fraud." We are finding similar comments in regard to Harper's betrayal of Seniors when he broke his promise to Income Trust Investors. The Promise: “A Conservative government will stand for certainty for seniors and never allow raids on seniors’ nest eggs by changing investment rules or imposing death taxes on inheritances.”— That promise was abandoned during the 'Halloween Massacre' October 31, 2006 when finance minister Flaherty announced a change which would tax income trusts at a 31.5% rate. Overnight the trust market valuations plunged some 19% ($38 Billion) and seniors' nest eggs were virtually wiped out. The absolute worst happened when Flaherty was called upon to explain the fact that the rationale given by finance officials was covered in 18 blacked-out pages. Flaherty, in the House of Commons, the following day, merely shrugged his shoulders and refused to answer the Liberal opposition.

Ahhh.... isn't electioneering fun... you can say all sorts of stuff about your opposition... just like throwing mud on a wall and waiting for some to stick... By the way, Mr. Harper isn't the only 'stick in the mud', if you will... Mr. Dion & the others can be pretty good mudslingers too when the occasion arises... Better examples have been in the US... pretty nasty stuff down there... "my God, she's got an unmarried pregnant daughter... how could we vote for her!" It all becomes a whole lot of white noise after a while... it all becomes clouds all around you... your eyes become blinded to what's really important... By the way, the scandal-fed press adds a lot more to the noise and the low-lying fog I'll vote anyway because it's my duty, my responsibility and I'll endeavour to be as wise as I can in my choice. God bless us all.

"If it does threaten national unity it may be in Alberta or Saskatchewan. These people out are pretty small mind since the national energy program..." I see you're doing your part for national unity. "Between 1961 and 1997, a net $167 billion left Alberta for Ottawa... over that same time period, Quebec governments pocketed a net $202 billion. (Ted Morton)" More of the same. I asked a liberal leaning blogger at farandwide@blogspot.com who was talking about how silly it was that people were talking about the Shift as though it would transfer wealth what he would think of a shift that instead moved money within each province. He called me narrow and provincial. Guess its not about greenhouse gases after all. Albertans and Saskatchewaners are "pretty small mind" if they aren't happy to give hundreds of billions of dollars to buy Quebec and votes in Ontario. I'm narrow and provincial if I don't support a shift that bankrolls the Liberal campaign with money from one part of the country to buy votes in another. Sounds like people looking out for their own interest. Its great for national unity if a unified Canada means one with a Liberal government, deeply frustrated westerners, and Quebecers that despise the country that thinks so little of itself as to pay it to stay. What more convicing arguement could be made to Quebec that Canada isn't worth being a part of? Never mind the people paying. I support equalization. Not this.

Threaten nationl unity? Cause a recession? Sounds like Rove/Bush scare tactics to me. How totally disgusting and shameful for Canada to have a Prime Minister using fear to obtain a vote.This is my first opportunity to vote and I can assure you Harper and his trained seals have just lost my vote. I would prefer Harper to tell me how his plan will truly affect Canada. My heart sank when Harper stood up with George Bush and said no to the Kyoto treaty. Not very indicative of how to be a world leader. Three steps backwords on the world stage for Canada. We need someone in charge of this country with intellect, not a sweater....

I'm 57yrs of age, in my brief lifetime, I've seen so many theories as to what has caused our environmental problems , yet I haven't seen any action taken in pretty much any respect to "clean things up". Money rules, we simply keep eating up our forests and fields, natures way of cleaning things. I suspect the planet will be a lot "healthier" after man has gone through his "life cyce". All creatures have a life cycle.

I have news 4 all of u!!!! doesn't matter what anyone says about the environment- it's the ICE AGE coming not global warming!!!!!!!! so we are all barking up the wrong tree!!!!

The Liberals are presenting an inexperienced leader unable to speak with clarity when it comes to one of Canada’s official languages. The Liberal campaign points to the shortcoming in the way the party elects leaders. The leader election process does not make sense electing a candidate to lead the party into the next election with only an eighteen percent minority on the first ballot. Stephane Dion is at the mercy of unprecedented opposition attacks for presenting the Green Shift. Probably an admirable alternative to the failed Kyoto accord the Green Shift reflects the possibility of increased taxation. Dissention in Liberal ranks according to media reports is poised to decimate the party making a reasonable election result unlikely. The Conservative attack on Dion is mean and much too partisan when compared to past election practices. The attack on the Green Shift seems to be in place so the Conservatives won’t have to present a viable environment plan to the electorate. Will Stephane Dion begin to rise to the challenge as happened in the past or simply fall into the black hole of politics that swallowed such notables as Clarke, Stanfield, Campbell, Martin and many others vying for Canada’s Prime Minister’s post?

The question is a poor one in my opinion. A better one would be whether the green shift plan threatens Canada. Preserving Canadian unity is useless if the land and environment itself is threatened. Once could argue about scientific evidence, whether a green shift plan will help or not, whether the effect is warming or cooling or something else. We can be reasonably confident that a well-thought out green plan will not harm the environment. Is it better to hedge our bets to have an intelligent plan just in case? Is Dion's green shift plan a well thought out one? Or who has the most well-thought out one?

At least Dion has a plan, which shows he is taking a leadership role on the environment to help improve the country's future. Harper is a bigger threat to national unity with his misleading fear-mongering ad campaigns. Let's hear what you will do for Canada and the environment Harper!

Jim Mason Unfortunaly no one is listening to you. You are correct but no one is listening. That is because GLOBAL WARMING is a religion not a science. They have high priests ( Gore, Suzuki, Dion, etc). They have sin ( emmitting CO2 etc) They have redemption ( carbon tax, cap and trade, carbon credits etc.paying for your sins). They have faith that the " science is right" without sientific debate ( none of them will debate with the DENIERS publicly). They have leadership hypocracy ( Gore's mansion, Sazuki's bus, Dion's plane etc.). You cannot win until sinning is seen as a pleasurable act.

I cannot believe the comments from Ian Mackay. He may not be a racist or bigot, but he sure is full of prejudice. Calling westerners "small minded". That does more damage to national unity than any politician can do in 4 years. If our Quebec friends would only travel out west and see how we live out here, they would certainly change their tune. When visiting family in PQ, I am always amazed at how much Industrial and commercial business activity goes on in the province. The life styles are beyond belief, and believe me, it is far better in Quebec, but I am sorry I guess I am small-minded westerner, so I must be wrong!