NDP economics

When asked what he would do to fight the US government's policy on softwood lumber, NDP lead Jack Layton said that he would slap a tariff on Canadian oil and gas exports to the US in retaliation.

This is just stupid. Artificially crank up the price of a Canadian product? Um, Jack? Don't you think the US would just go elsewhere to get the stuff? They certainly wouldn't buy as much if the cost increased, nor should they be expected to. And who would be the ones who suffer in the end? That's right, Canadian oil patch producers and the thousands of regular Joes they employ.

Harper's comment was that this just goes to show that the NDP should not be allowed to even get close to a position where they can run the economy of any province or the country as a whole.

Imagine if Layton was the real finance minister instead of just the occasional stand-in for Ralph Goodale that he was this year.