When I worked in the private sector, I remember be bombared by catchy phrases and slogans that HR would email or post on the walls of the office. One that comes to mind after reading the comments by Mr. Peter Nelson (Executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association), is the phrase “Don’t complain unless you have a solution”.
So here we have Mr. Nelson doing his best Chicken Little impersonation and warning us of impending massive job loses if we attempt to address the problem of Climate Change. Now I am NOT here to advocate Mr. Dion’s Green Shift. Unfortunately, Mr. Dion has done a poor job in illustrating his vision. But I am here to say, atleast it is a start. And if it gets people talking, great. I am afraid that this not what I am hearing when Mr. Nelson brings his tory/fear tactics (I wonder where he is taking his cues from?). Now I understand Mr Nelson’s role is the protect his members, but he is doing the membership a diservice by only helping them in the short-term.
Lets say Mr Harper gets his way and cuts the excise tax on deisel, for arguements sake, lets cut it completely. That will drop the price of deisel by 14 cents per litre. Great, for the short term. But what happens when/and if the price spikes again wiping out the 14 cents relief Mr. Harper provided truckers? Even worse, what if they go even higher then the last run-up? The trucking industry will face the same problems it has always had. What will be Mr. Nelson’s suggestion then? They are ruled by the price of fuel(Diesel) and until that changes the industry is left with 2 options. 1) Continue to pass the expense on to us or 2) adapt and change the way things are done. I do not hear Mr. Nelson talking about what we can do to move away from that tie. I have yet to hear him say, “Your idea does not work, but if you do this…….”. Of the last 2 times he has been quoted in the Times and Transcript he has only pleaded for help in the form of tax cuts and warned of the end of western civilization if the trucking industry was not helped. What about moving to different types of fuels or effecient engines?
The trucking industry may be ripe for change. Currently, the industry has an average age of 57-60 years and there is a drastic reduction of new blood. This to me would be a great opportunity to phase in change. When you look at the tranportation sector as a whole, in 2005, it contributed about “4.2% of Canada’s total economic output as measured by gross domestic product (GDP). To put that into perspective, the huge mining and oil and gas extraction sector contributed 3.7% to GDP“. Mr. Nelson is right when he mentions almost eveything is moved by transport truck. Since it is such a key link in moving goods, it makes perfect sense to investigate how it should be made more effecient.
Mr. Nelson, you are quick to shoot down ideas, without providing REAL solutions of your own. Self preservation can only be taken so far.
[...] earn the money by helping to transform Canada’s rail system. Or instead of meaningless excise tax reductions, reinvest in our country. With all due respect to the men and women of the trucking [...]