From a globeandmail.com chat with Jeffrey Simpson on climate change policies:

Gary: ... In your estimation, what chance (if any) do you see of Harper doing an about-face and implementing an effective price on carbon once the campaign is over (assuming of course he wins the election)?

Obviously it would need to be branded as something different to allow him to save face.

Jeffrey Simpson: Gary, I see no chance of Mr. Harper doing what you propose.

Indeed if the Green Shitt fails then I, as someone who favors a carbon tax with offsets on personal and corporate income taxes, must concede that the policy will not be picked up politically for a long time. ...