One of the richest people in the world, George Soros favours a carbon tax.

George Soros, currently the 99th wealthiest person in the world, can teach any government a thing or two about economies and taxation policy. Certainly Mr. Harper would do well to listen.

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In this far-reaching interview primarily centred on the spreading global financial crisis, Mr. Soros also speaks to the challenge of climate change and indicates his preference for a carbon tax despite the political opposition to it.

There is a common interest. And this belief that everybody pursuing his self-interests will maximize the common interests or will take care of the common interests is a false idea. It's a suitable idea for those who are rich, who are successful, who are powerful. It suits them to justify you know, enjoying the fruits without paying taxes. The idea of paying taxes is an absolute no-no, right?

Unpatriotic. So, yes, you must have, in my opinion, you need, for instance, a tax on carbon emissions. But that is unacceptable politically. So we are going to have cap and trade. And the trading will have all kinds of loopholes and misuse of the regulations and all kinds of ways of making money without actually dealing with the problem that it's designed to cure. So that's how the political process distorts things. (Video | Transcript) George Soros, as interviewed by Bill Moyers

Stephen Harper opposes a carbon tax; in fact he proposes to reduce taxes so much that the federal government will be forced to slash programs, and certainly will have no spare capacity to react to crisis (such as now) or invest substantially in new areas. Who is making these decisions? Someone who hasn't run a substantial business ever in his life, and a finance minister that left Ontario deep in debt.

Who makes more sense to trust? Backing a carbon tax are hundreds of economists joined with some of the most smartest, and wealthiest, people in the world. Can we really trust Stephen Harper, on record as a climate change denier, who hasn't run a business bigger than (or even as big as?) a submarine sandwich franchise?

I'll put my money on Soros any day.

Harper's ideas are dangerous and he is not worth the risk of being given even a another minority government.

[Editor: While I favour a carbon tax and believe cap and trade has its place, an election is apparently no time to be discussing what should be an easy to understand concept given political interests are focussed on blowing up any rational attempt at discussion in the pursuit of partisan objectives that map on to their ideology. My primary interest in pushing on this button is that the do-nothing lobby / the climate change denial lobby, is as strong as ever. If you don't think the climate-change denial lobby isn't still alive and kicking, look at this U.S. Senate Republican (Harper's closest allies) weblog.]