Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois found a way to adapt the slogan “make the rich pay” in the era of climate change, Sunday, at the unveiling of the QS Climate Plan.
Like any plan of this type, the document (although not costed for each measure) is dense.
Laliberté’s jet
At the turn of a sentence, GND points out that if nothing is done, the growth of private flights, by 2030, will be 27% in Quebec. QS wants to reduce this growth to 5%: “That means that Guy Laliberté, he will calm down a little on his private jet flights!”
I say to him: “And tourist flights in space?” GND jokes: when we are sovereign, we will be able to put pressure on international organizations.
Of course, all this makes you smile, like seeing a clown in weightlessness. But deep down, the question is serious. Can billionaires be allowed to cancel part of the efforts of their fellow citizens and States with impunity?
The European Transport & Environment group concluded in March 2022 that private flights “emit five to 14 times more CO per passenger.2» than salespeople. And up to 50 times more than the train!
The more governments adopt measures to reduce GHG emissions, the more certain morals of the ultra-rich will cause scandal.
It’s already started: In July, American influencer Kylie Jenner caused an uproar with a 17-minute private jet flight in California. Twitter accounts track the careers of jet personalities and expose them to public condemnation.
How?
But how to force the Guy Laliberté to reduce their number of thefts “whims”, as they are called in France?
QS was stingy with details on Sunday. The only track that the party mentioned fell under federal jurisdiction: to tax these flights “on arrival and departure in airport facilities”.
PM
Moreover, since a prime minister from QS would be responsible for the fight against climate change, he “would have a duty to set an example and would limit his use of the plane to strict necessity”. (Going to Nunavik, for example.)
In 2011, Gérard Deltell, then head of the ADQ, denounced the frequent use of the Challenger 601-3A by Jean Charest.
In that year alone, he had requisitioned it 44 times for Quebec-Montreal trips.
Under Pauline Marois, the aircraft became a hospital plane.
Philippe Couillard had got into the habit of flying less and chartering a more economical plane.
The entourage of François Legault swears that he has kept these habits: commercial flight during missions abroad and chartered plane during certain tours.
“All of his trips from Montreal to Quebec are done by car.”
But by the way, Quebec is a producer of very popular “business jets”! The division that manufactures the Challenger and Global is about the only one to remain at Bombardier.
GND believes it is an industry that “needs to improve its carbon footprint”.
In the same breath, he promises that no worker will lose in the transition, because a fund will be set up if we have to help them.