Time to wake up, join 21st century

John Gormley’s pining for the days of Peter Lougheed and current incarnates like Brad Wall is so 20th century. The days of easy money, corporate driven politics and the rampant unimpeded expansion of the oil and gas industry are over. It is time for Gormley and others to join the 21st century.

The carbon pollution from excessive, inefficient uses of fossil fuels that are warming the planet and changing climate patterns has to be curbed and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plan is the best yet proposed. This scenario could be better without the intransigent, fossilfuelled corruption of the Donald Trump government, but I digress.

If Premier Scott Moe wants his province to be competitive, he could take the carbon pricing revenue and direct it to trade-sensitive industries or the farmers that need to keep as much money at home.

We could take advantage of the federal government’s $62 million and subsidize community-based energy production providing highly skilled jobs for rural Saskatchewan. The costs soon to be imposed on carbon aren’t leaving this province so could be a pot of revenue to eliminate homelessness provincewide, reduce income tax even more, pay for necessary education and health demands or reduce the deficit.

The ongoing communications between Saskatchewan and Canada on the implications of a carbon pricing change is valuable and not nagging and threatening. It is prudent to inform your citizens of impending changes to the price of the energy that gets most people to work and heats their homes. Jim Elliott, chairperson, Regina chapter, Council of Canadians