2008 Apr 9: St. Lawrence Forum on tax shifting

Tax Shifting for a Greener Future
A St. Lawrence Centre Forum
Wednesday, 2008 April 9, 7:30 pm
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
27 Front Street East
free

The St. Lawrence Centre Forum this week will focus on the dominant plank of the Green Party approach — the tax shift that makes polluters pay for the costs of their activities, especially on carbon.  A couple of years ago, this idea was considered bizarre.  Now it’s being considered more and more mainstream, with Quebec and British Columbia already implementing provincial versions.

Would you be willing to pay a higher tax on fuel and other polluting activities in exchange for lower income and payroll taxes?

Tax shifting is about comprehensive tax reform to encourage sustainable development, better economic performances, social well-being and more jobs. Taxes are levied on resource and energy intensive, environmentally-damaging activity and lowered on employment, income and investments.

Will tax shifting work?

Come hear experts speak both for and against tax shifting.

The panel will include:

Opposed:
Hugh MacKenzie: Research Associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Finn Poschmann: Research Director for C.D. Howe Institute

In Favour:
Kate Holloway: CEO of Carbonzero
Toby Heaps: founding editor of Corporate Knights
Moderator: Bernadette Hardaker, freelance journalist and former CBC Radio One broadcaster