The Trudeau Liberals paid tens of thousands of dollars to a professor who routinely slammed Conservative politicians on social media and promoted the carbon tax, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. University of Alberta Economist Andrew Leach, recipient of sole-sourced federal contracts worth more than $68,000, used his Twitter (“X”) account to discredit those of the opposing political persuasion. Leach in a 2023 tweet targeted Premier Danielle Smith’s Alberta government, calling officials “idiots” and “sociopaths.”“Are we governed by idiots beholden to sociopaths or sociopaths beholden to idiots?” he wrote. “I suppose idiots beholden to idiots and sociopaths beholden to sociopaths are also possibilities here.”In another series of tweets Leach complained he was “yelled at by both Conservative trolls and anti-capitalist morons” and that the Parliamentary Budget Office “had it wrong” when it critiqued the carbon tax..Leach, who was cited in an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons Tuesday, said he made no secret of his work. Leach received a total $68,248 in sole-sourced contracts for “expert economic advice” and other services from the Departments of Environment and Agriculture. The majority of fees, a total $58,273, was paid by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s department.“All of my consulting work is disclosed,” said Leach, whose official biography does not mention $68,248 in payments. It states he “served as an economics and policy consultant for Environment Canada.” “My official biography states correctly I have previously acted as both a paid and unpaid consultant.” The Inquiry was tabled at the request of Conservative MP Brad Vis. “Which of the individuals who signed the Open Letter From Economists On Canada’s Carbon Pricing have received government contracts since 2015?” he asked. .Leach was one of 344 economists to sign the March 26 Open Letter praising the federal carbon tax. “Critics claim carbon pricing won’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” wrote economists in the letter. “What the evidence shows? Not only does carbon pricing reduce emissions but it does so at a lower cost than other approaches.”The economists’ claim was contradicted by a May 2 federal report showing greenhouse gas emissions went up 9.3 million tons in 2022, the most recent available data. The Department of Environment in May 21 submissions to parliamentarians acknowledged the carbon tax had no impact on the vast majority of emissions.Yet, the Trudeau Liberals continue to repeatedly cite the economists’ letter in justifying the tax.“Emissions are down in a significant way,” Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told the House of Commons Monday. “The fact is that 300 economists, experts in their field, say that.”Wilkinson on May 21 told MPs to “read the work that was done by 300 economists. It is very clear and 300 economists across this country agree.”
The Trudeau Liberals paid tens of thousands of dollars to a professor who routinely slammed Conservative politicians on social media and promoted the carbon tax, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. University of Alberta Economist Andrew Leach, recipient of sole-sourced federal contracts worth more than $68,000, used his Twitter (“X”) account to discredit those of the opposing political persuasion. Leach in a 2023 tweet targeted Premier Danielle Smith’s Alberta government, calling officials “idiots” and “sociopaths.”“Are we governed by idiots beholden to sociopaths or sociopaths beholden to idiots?” he wrote. “I suppose idiots beholden to idiots and sociopaths beholden to sociopaths are also possibilities here.”In another series of tweets Leach complained he was “yelled at by both Conservative trolls and anti-capitalist morons” and that the Parliamentary Budget Office “had it wrong” when it critiqued the carbon tax..Leach, who was cited in an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons Tuesday, said he made no secret of his work. Leach received a total $68,248 in sole-sourced contracts for “expert economic advice” and other services from the Departments of Environment and Agriculture. The majority of fees, a total $58,273, was paid by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s department.“All of my consulting work is disclosed,” said Leach, whose official biography does not mention $68,248 in payments. It states he “served as an economics and policy consultant for Environment Canada.” “My official biography states correctly I have previously acted as both a paid and unpaid consultant.” The Inquiry was tabled at the request of Conservative MP Brad Vis. “Which of the individuals who signed the Open Letter From Economists On Canada’s Carbon Pricing have received government contracts since 2015?” he asked. .Leach was one of 344 economists to sign the March 26 Open Letter praising the federal carbon tax. “Critics claim carbon pricing won’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” wrote economists in the letter. “What the evidence shows? Not only does carbon pricing reduce emissions but it does so at a lower cost than other approaches.”The economists’ claim was contradicted by a May 2 federal report showing greenhouse gas emissions went up 9.3 million tons in 2022, the most recent available data. The Department of Environment in May 21 submissions to parliamentarians acknowledged the carbon tax had no impact on the vast majority of emissions.Yet, the Trudeau Liberals continue to repeatedly cite the economists’ letter in justifying the tax.“Emissions are down in a significant way,” Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told the House of Commons Monday. “The fact is that 300 economists, experts in their field, say that.”Wilkinson on May 21 told MPs to “read the work that was done by 300 economists. It is very clear and 300 economists across this country agree.”
