William Watson: Sorry, Pierre Poilievre — reason beats rhyme in policy-making

financialpost.com:

First came Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s “Axe the tax” ads targeting the carbon tax. Now the Alberta government is running a “Scrap the cap” campaign, in reference to the federal government’s plan to — for purely performative reasons — impose a cap on emissions from the oil and gas sector.

It can only be purely performative. The science Ottawa always insists we listen to is that CO2 is CO2 is CO2. In terms of atmospheric effect, it doesn’t matter where emissions come from, whether from the oil and gas sector producing highly efficient fuels or from the nation’s MPs bloviating in the House of Commons. (Might the billions being spent on refurbishing Parliament include capture-and-storage equipment for their collective carbon mouth-print?)

The only reason for special measures on oil and gas — sadistic pleasure aside — is to persuade international environmental lobbies that the Trudeau government gets climate. Better from that view that we not have oil and gas. But since we do have that burden to carry, best make clear we really, really don’t like it.

But enough about substance. On to style. There is a trend here. People pride innovation in their politicians. Pierre Poilievre has given us policy rap. Will any proposals that don’t rhyme make it into the next Conservative platform, and will that platform be written (in the traditional way) or veejayed by the leader?

The possibilities are almost limitless.

would be a natural rallying cry for fiscal conservatives (which all conservatives should be). Also — reset it as a lower share of GDP, that is, and move it steadily toward zero.

Cultural conservatives will want to “ and “ — DEI being, of course, “diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Conservatives are fine with