Access to Information documents reveal federal staff found a misquoted line from a study used in a confidential Department of Finance carbon tax “fact sheet” suspected to be used to counter Prairie criticism of the controversial tax, Blacklock’s Reporter reports.
The Department of Finance cited a study published in the Canadian Journal Of Agricultural Economics looking at the implementation of the carbon tax in British Columbia that “found no evidence that the carbon tax is associated with any meaningful effect on agricultural trade.”
However, emails reveal Department of Agriculture staff claim: “The fact sheet says the paper found ‘no evidence’ when in fact the paper claims it found ‘little evidence’. That’s an important distinction, and I think misquoting the paper undermines the argument.”
When a Department of Agriculture manager found out about the mistake they sent a message to colleagues that read, “I hadn’t checked that but you’re right. That’s a doozy!”
