最近，加拿大总理马克·卡尼成为某些中文社交媒体上的攻击目标，各类耸人听闻的标题铺天盖地。许多帖子声称他不过是特鲁多的翻版，他会“玩弄选民”，“一旦当选就会偷偷恢复碳税”等等。这些大多来自于皮埃尔·波利耶夫的攻击言论正在华裔选民中制造着混乱与恐慌。
Lately, Chinese social media has been flooded with sensational headlines attacking Prime Minister Mark Carney. Posts claim he is “playing voters,” that he will “secretly revive the carbon tax,” and that he is simply another version of Justin Trudeau. These messages—some of which echo Pierre Poilievre’s talking points almost word for word—are spreading fear and confusion among Chinese-speaking voters.
的确，碳税不得人心，谁也不愿意在加油和取暖时支付额外费用。同时，卡尼的”暂停而非取消”碳税法案的做法也确实为未来恢复碳税留下了空间。但我们应认识到，碳税不会摧毁加拿大的经济，而真正会给我们经济带来严重威胁的，是在特朗普发动的霸权贸易战以及对加拿大主权的威胁面前缺乏迎接挑战的领导能力。
Yes, the carbon tax is unpopular. No one likes paying more for gas or heating. And yes, Carney’s decision to suspend, not repeal, the carbon tax law opens the door for future reintroduction. But let’s be clear: Canada’s economy will not be destroyed by a carbon tax. What would devastate our economy is failed leadership in standing up to Donald Trump’s aggressive trade war and threats to Canadian sovereignty.
确实，卡尼并没有废除《温室气体污染定价法案》。但他已将消费者碳税税率降为零，自4月1日起生效，这意味着加国家庭将不再为使用燃油而支付附加碳税，且在4月中旬收到最后一笔季度退税。同时，卡尼也坦率承认，碳税未能使加国人士团结一致，在社会上引发了分裂，因而做出体现政治上的务实态度的决定，而并非实施伎俩，欺骗选民。
It’s true that Carney didn’t repeal the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. But he did reduce the consumer carbon tax rate to zero, effective April 1. That means households will no longer pay the carbon surcharge on fuel, and the final quarterly rebate will arrive in mid-April. Carney openly admitted the carbon tax was divisive and failed to bring Canadians together. His move reflects political pragmatism—not deception.
我们不妨这样看待碳税问题，一个每年支付几百元碳税的普通家庭，往往能拿回大致相等甚至更多的退税，尤其是在偏远地区。碳税对经济的负面影响并不严重，且通常能被铺贴抵消。相比之下，与美国爆发全面贸易战会让加拿大损失数十亿的国内生产总值，破坏供应链，重创出口产业。碳税或许让人感觉些许的吃紧，但如在贸易危机中缺乏有效领导，带来的后果会却不堪设想。
Let’s put this in perspective. The average household paid a few hundred dollars per year in carbon tax but received equal or greater rebates, especially in rural areas. The economic impact of the tax was moderate and often offset. By contrast, a full-blown trade war with the U.S. could cost billions in lost GDP, disrupt supply chains, and cripple Canadian exporters. A carbon tax might pinch. Failed leadership in a trade crisis could paralyze.
当卡尼奔赴欧洲，与盟友建立更紧密的关系，并积极寻求摆脱对美国依赖的方案时，波利耶夫却留在加国境内对所谓的“卡尼碳税”发起攻击，仿佛时间滞留在特鲁多还在位的2024年。他找错了人，也没看准时机，更攻击错了目标。如今，加拿大人真正担忧的，并不是碳税是否会卷土重来，而是特朗普2.0 将对加国经济造成何等冲击。凭借其深厚的学术背景以及与世界各国领导人建立的广泛联系的卡尼正致力于提升加拿大在国际舞台上的地位；反观波利耶夫，却依然沉浸于在利用那些陈词滥调的口号煽动其政治势力。
