What do Jean Charest, Preston Manning, Paul Martin and Bob Rae all have in common? They are all members of the advisory board of Canada’s new Ecofiscal Commission . In their inaugural report, Smart, Practical, Possible: Canadian options for greater economic and environmental prosperity, the group said fees and taxes and subsidy reforms can be used at the federal, provincial and even municipal level to address such diverse issues as road congestion, water use and global warming.
The commission will undertake a series of studies over the next five years, each addressing a specific issue. By raising revenues through taxes on socially harmful practices, they suggest that governments could reduce other taxes that discourage employment and investment. Watch Preston Manning discuss the Commission on CBC news.