Trump, Carney both bad for Canada's economy

Trump's plans to restructure the U.S.A.'s economy will hurt Canada's. So will Mark Carney's carbon tax plans. 

Carney a threat to our economy, just like Trump | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley:

February 23, 2025 - "As a country, we simply aren’t ready for what is coming from Washington. I’m not talking about the tariffs.... I’m talking about Trump’s changes to the American economy. 

"On Saturday, Trump was speaking to his most enthusiastic supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.... Once again, he made them a promise that should make every American excited.... 'To further, turbo charge our economy, we’ve launched the most aggressive deregulation program in any nation’s history, and we’re also going to be seeking the largest tax cuts in American history,' Trump said. 'We brought them down, as you know, from close to 40% down to 21% now we’re bringing them down to 15% if you make your product in the United States of America'.... 

"There are so many things in that brief snippet of Trump’s speech that should worry Canadian business and political leaders.... In Canada, we have a high regulatory burden and our biggest trading partner and competitor for investment is about to have a much lower burden. That will make Canada less attractive to investment and to executives making decisions on where to expand or locate plants. 

"The same on taxes. Right now, the effective corporate tax in Canada is 15% — the same level Trump wants to lower his rate to. For more than a century, Canadian industrial policy has sought to ensure a lower rate on corporate taxes as a way to attract investment and jobs. For the most part it has worked, but with an equal corporate tax rate, a reduced regulatory burden and the possibility of tariffs, the United States becomes more attractive ... unless we also change and radically alter our economic rules. 

"Sadly, we are about to get a new prime minister who doesn’t see that as the way forward. A few weeks ago in Halifax, Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney announced that he would get rid of the consumer carbon tax but then said he’d make up the difference by increasing the industrial carbon tax....Twice he mentioned steel companies as an example of the kind of big polluter he wants to pay for his program. 

"Steel companies create jobs, unlike Carney, and are already paying massively on the carbon tax. Take Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, which in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2024, paid $24.6 million in carbon taxes on a net income of $105 million. Since then, the carbon tax already went up by 23% last April 1 and this coming April 1, it will see another increase of 19%.... [W]ere Algoma to produce the same amount of steel that they did in fiscal year 2023-24, they would be paying nearly $36 million annually in carbon taxes.... Algoma ... would likely shut down in the face of Trump’s changes and Carney’s foolish policy. Other players in the industry, like ArcelorMittal, which owns Dofasco, would likely just move production to their various American plants....

"Carney mocks the idea put forward by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that we need to axe the tax, but that is exactly what we will need to do. In the face of tariffs, but just as much in the face of Donald Trump’s remaking of the American economy, we will have no choice. 

"Actually, we will have a choice: We can stay with the status quo and sink into a recession and persistent economic decline, or we can start to rebuild our economy to compete and that includes not putting unnecessary costs on businesses and industry that will only chase away jobs and investment. Poilievre understands that; he gets that to compete in this new economic order being created by Trump that we need to unleash our own economy, diversify trade, and embrace Canada’s natural resource-based industries."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/carney-a-threat-to-our-economy-just-like-trump

LILLEY UNLEASHED: Carney’s bizarre plan to replace carbon with something worse | Toronto Sun | February 4, 2025:

Rand Paul wins CPAC straw poll 3rd year in row

Rand Paul wins CPAC straw poll, with Scott Walker right behind - Ben Schreckinger - POLITICO:

February 28, 2015 - "Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won the presidential straw poll at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference — his third such victory in a row. But Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker came in a strong second, reflecting a rising popularity among the GOP grass roots.

"Paul earned 25.7 percent of the vote and Walker took 21.4 percent. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a favorite of the GOP establishment and donor class but not so much of the conservative base, finished fifth, with 8 percent, results showed.

"Paul’s showing illustrates his popularity among the GOP base, but a straw poll win at CPAC, even one held just a year out from the first primaries and caucuses, is no guarantee of a presidential nomination. The event draws a strong contingent of libertarians, a group long identified with the Paul family, and although it is a barometer of Republican activist sentiment, it is not especially representative of the broader party....

"Paul fared better in last year’s CPAC straw poll, taking 31 percent of the vote, well ahead of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 11 percent and neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s 9 percent. In 2013, he won, but it was closer: He picked up 25 percent of the vote, edging out Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who took 23 percent....

"Paul, Cruz and Carson, enjoyed the most visible support at this year’s conference. News of Paul’s straw poll victory was met with loud cheers and chants of 'President Paul.' He tweeted his thanks to his supporters — along with a link to his political action committee’s website."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/115619.html
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The rise of the libertarians - Washington Post

The rise of the libertarians — and what it means for politics: - Jaime Fuller, The Fix, Washington Post blogs:

March 10, 2014 - "During the 2012 Republican primaries, young Ron Paul supporters received national attention that far outweighed their influence on the party's eventual presidential pick. NPR quoted a Georgetown graduate student who said about millennials, 'This is the most libertarian generation that has ever existed. I just think it's taking a little bit longer for people to realize ... but in 10 or 20 years, once our age group starts to have more of an influence in society, we're going to see very significant shifts in what's happening.'

"We're only two years removed from his prediction, but it's clear that libertarians are becoming a vocal faction within Republican ranks. In the annual straw poll that takes place at the Conservative Political Action Committee [CPAC], Rand Paul took first place, winning 31 percent of the vote despite the fact there were 24 other people on the ballot. Paul also won the straw poll in 2013....

"As Molly Ball pointed out in her CPAC recap, 'CPAC ... is increasingly dominated by libertarians, a combined result of their passionate engagement in movement politics and the discount rates the conference offers to college students.' Republicans may be subsidizing their young libertarian members, but they aren't quite listening to them yet.

"But, as that grad student said in 2012, 10 or 20 years from now, libertarians will likely be the Republicans to watch if current trends hold. Here are a few ways to look at the libertarian crowd in 2014, as the group tries to expand their influence within the Republican Party."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/03/10/here-a-libertarian-there-a-libertarian-but-will-there-be-libertarians-everywhere-soon/

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Rand Paul: We must defend the rights of all

Rand Paul’s Starkly Libertarian CPAC Speech: We Must Defend the Rights of All | Mediaite - Andrew Kirell:

March 7, 2014 - "In his address before the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) took a decidedly libertarian stance on issues of surveillance, the Fourth Amendment, executive overreach, and wrongful imprisonment.

"'We won’t trade our liberty for security,' Paul said, setting the overarching theme of the speech: 'Not now, not ever.'

He railed against the National Security Agency’s controversial phone metadata collection, telling the crowd: 'If you have a cell phone, you are under surveillance. I believe what you do on your cell phone is none of their damn business.'

"'There is a great battle going on, it’s for the heart and soul of America,' he urged to the crowd. 'The Fourth Amendment is equally as important as the Second Amendment, and conservatives cannot forget this.

"At another point, Sen. Paul quoted Pink Floyd’s 'Wish You Were Here' to attack President Obama‘s equivocating on civil liberties issues.

"He also emphasized to the audience that any minority of thought, color, creed, [or] religion should presume that government would attempt to imprison them wrongfully."

Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rand-pauls-starkly-libertarian-cpac-speech-we-must-defend-the-rights-of-all/
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At CPAC, the future looks libertarian | TIME

At CPAC, The Future Looks Libertarian | TIME.com - Zeke Miller:

March 15, 2013 - "Give Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) points for timing: the 2013 Conservative Political Action Committee is shaping up to be a libertarian victory lap....

"Riding high a week after his 13-hour filibuster against the Obama administration’s drone policy, Paul was greeted with wild applause and is seen as a lock to win the conference’s annual straw poll. The halls of the massive convention center and hotel were packed with “Stand with Rand” stickers and signs. Elsewhere the libertarian-leaning Tea Party News Network is a major sponsor of the program, providing complimentary wi-fi for all attendees. More moderate 2016 contenders like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell weren’t invited. Sen. Marco Rubio was greeted tepidly in advance of Paul’s address....

"The younger Paul even scored overwhelming applause at the conservative conference for decriminalizing drug use, speaking for the 'Facebook Generation' that he believes that Republican Party needs to embrace.... 'They are the core though of the leave-me-alone coalition,' Paul said. 'They doubt Social Security will be there for them, they worry about jobs and rent and money and student loans… They aren’t afraid of individual liberty. Ask the Facebook generation if we should put a kid in jail for the non-violent crime of drug use and you’ll hear a resounding "no". Ask the Facebook generation if they want to bail out too big big to fail banks with their hard earned tax dollars and you’ll hear a "hell no".’"

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/03/15/at-cpac-the-future-looks-libertarian/#ixzz2NeAAlGHj
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CPAC: Libertarianism has hijacked the GOP

The Shotgun: CPAC: Libertarianism has hijacked the GOP - Abu Hatem, Western Standard, Feb. 11, 2011:

"Not only did the Campaign for Liberty sell out of tickets two weeks ago, but this year there were more libertarian and humble-foreign-policy conservatism groups than ever before. Gary Johnson's Our America Initiative took up a full booth, as did the Committee for the Republic, a loose coalition of antiwar conservatives affiliated with The American Conservative; the Republican Liberty Caucus and both Young Americans for Liberty and Students for Liberty were at the event as was the libertarian think tank The Independent Institute. Speakers such as libertarian Republicans Ron Paul, Rand Paul, and Gary Johnson spoke in the main gallery, and Justin Amash had a special reception at CPAC with Young Americans for Liberty. It is an easy estimate that a full 50% of attendees of this formerly mainstream conservative conference were actually libertarian activists."

http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2011/02/cpac-libertarianism-has-hijacked-the-gop.html