Trudeau imposes his expensive carbon tax on the people of New Brunswick

Jake Stewart, Conservative Shadow Minister for Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, released the following statement on New Brunswick being forced to adopt Justin Trudeau’s expensive carbon tax:

“After 8 years of Justin Trudeau, Atlantic Canadians are hurting more than ever before. Liberals are out of touch, and Canadians are out of money. Justin Trudeau’s inflationary taxes have driven up the cost of living, and people can’t afford to buy groceries or pay their rent. Inflation is the highest it’s been in generations, 40% of Atlantic Canadians experience energy poverty, and Trudeau’s response is to make life even more expensive for everyone.

“Once again, Justin Trudeau has imposed his Ottawa knows best approach, allowing ‘no room for negotiation’ and imposed his carbon tax on the hard-working people of New Brunswick. With Justin Trudeau, it’s always his way or else. Now, he has told the people of New Brunswick they will have to face surging costs on gasoline and heating thanks to his unnecessary and painful tax.

“All Atlantic provinces, including the Liberal government in Newfoundland & Labrador, put forward their own plans when faced with Trudeau’s painful carbon tax. They have been rejected by Trudeau’s know-it-all government in Ottawa. They know the carbon tax is not an environment plan, but a costly tax plan that is especially damaging to families in Atlantic Canada.

“Canadians are hurting, but Trudeau refuses to listen. Conservatives will keep the heat on, and take the tax off.”

DDEP: Gov’t grants preferential exemptions to some bondholders - Martin Kpebu alleges | Threatens legal action

One of the conveners of the Individual Bondholders Forum, Mr Martin Kpebu, is raising some red flags about the rationale for the granting of preferential exemptions to some individual bondholders as part of the implementation of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) announced by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to restructure the country’s debt stock.

According to Mr Kpebu, some individual bondholders were granted preferential exemptions leading to the closing date for the DDEP.

“What is the rationale for the preferential exemptions and who were the beneficiaries?” he queried.

He called on the finance minister and his technical team members to come clean on granting preferential exemptions to some bondholders.

Mr Martin Kpebu raised this red flag in an interview on the 6 a.m. news on Accra-based Joy FM on Thursday, February 16, 2023.

The convener who is also a legal practitioner hinted at legal action if the government fails to assign tangible reasons for the alleged preferential exemptions.

Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance

“Why were these preferential exemptions not made available to all the individual bondholders,” he wondered.

In the same direction, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudjeto –Ablakwa, has revealed that some individual bondholders were granted the opportunity to convert their bonds into treasury bills before the end of the programme.

He said the minister will be compelled to provide the names of these beneficiaries on the floor of Parliament today Classfmonline.com/cecil Mensah

The French have so far opted for commercial redress in European - $500 million in “unpaid taxes”. The Italians have initiated a model in Italy, and for the European Parliament, that calls for up to 70% reimbursement for news production and reproduction, over a ninety-day (90 day) period.

Google, Meta/Facebook etc. may argue for a hands-off approach but they are not entrusted with the need to safeguard or promote the public’s wellbeing. Governments are.

Legislation like Bill C-18 serves the needs of Canadians and bolsters government policy objectives associated with nation-building and with strengthening the fundamentals through which we share common values or build material and political goals that benefit all.

Generally, good governments try to expand opportunities associated with positive outcomes in this regard and to mitigate the challenges society meets,as it transforms from one era of cultural communications to the next.

The rapid growth and expansion of digital technologies is one such challenge. It has become a matter of public concern virtually everywhere around the globe.

The Minister for Canadian Heritage and his colleague, the Minister forInnovation, Science and Industry agree. In a nine-page letter to the [new] Chair of the CRTC, dated Feb. 3, they note that these challenges can “undermine our culture, entrench inequality and unfairness in society and jeopardize democracy”.

They are talking about communications, freedom of speech, transparency, economic and political viability. More particularly, they express apprehension that the digital monoliths may be arrogating the creative and financial resources that small and medium sized communications enterprises like the members of the NEPMCC rely on for survival.

It is not a small issue. Left unchecked, Giant Tech may spell the end of multilingual, multiethnic Press and Media. The ethnocultural, multilingual communities (as well as geographical communities) to which NEPMCC members reach out with news and analysis appropriate to their integration process may face a short lifespan.

Yet, as per the last census in 2021, that segment of the population which self identifies as neither Aboriginal/First Nations, Anglo or French comprisesjust under 25% of the total population. It is the only segment growing, numerically.

Politically, they are indispensable to the country’s growth and development.

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