BC Government say the amount of carbon tax paid in BC will vary depending on family consumption and household use of fuels for heating, cooking and transportation. Vary indeed – that’s certainly putting it mildly!

According to Kris Sims, of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation:
“The B.C. government no longer reports where carbon tax money is going, but a budget table shows B.C. taxpayers are forking out $1.7 billion in the carbon tax in 2019-20 to heat their homes, buy groceries and drive to work.

She then continued, “... and the government’s carbon tax take will rise to $2.2 billion by 2021-22. The B.C. carbon tax will be $50 per tonne in 2021.”

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister

Meantime today in Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister has announced there will be a provincial sales tax exemption on the federal carbon tax.  “Manitoba will not apply the provincial sales tax (PST) to the federal government’s carbon tax”, Premier Brian Pallister announced.

“Ottawa is charging federal sales tax on top of its carbon tax, meaning Manitobans will be hit twice on their natural gas bills,” said Pallister.  “The added cost of charging GST on top of the federal carbon tax means Manitobans will have less disposable income at the end of the month.  Affordability matters and we are ensuring Manitobans will not be triple charged.”  

Here in British Columbia however, the provincial government just keeps on adding to the costs of families.

Last year on April 1^st, BC’s carbon tax rate was $35 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. This year, again on April Fools Day, the tax rate will increase again by an additional $5 per tonne, continuing until it reaches $50 per tonne in 2021.

Again, quoting Kris Sims, “The carbon tax costs everyday people a lot of money, and it’s not reducing CO2 emissions, so why are we doing this?”

“... all this is doing is taking a bigger bite of our paycheques”

The Carbon Tax, or Tax on Pollution as Justin Trudeau likes to call it, does NOT work.

Research by the Taxpayers Federation shows that carbon emissions have increased by 1.5 per cent and levels have increased in five of the last six years.  Even the Sierra Club itself pointed out that CO2 emissions are increasing and called B.C.’s highest carbon tax in Canada a “token effort.”

And that, despite the fact that our provincial government in BC applies the carbon tax to the purchase and use of fossil fuels which covers approximately 70% of provincial greenhouse gas emissions.

AND, it just keeps getting worse!  According to the government of BC, by 2022, the price on carbon pollution (remember it’s no longer a carbon tax --- our provincial and federal governments want to remind us that our use of fuel is pollution, not a means to be able to live) will add 11.6 cents per litre to the cost of gasoline, and 13.7 cents per litre of diesel, 12.4 cents per litre of aviation gasoline and almost 13 cents per litre on aviation turbo fuel.

“B.C. is a sad example showing that a Canadian carbon tax doesn’t work the way politicians tell us it will: it doesn’t reduce CO2 emissions, it doesn’t create a ‘social license’ for our natural resources, and it costs regular people a lot of money just to live their lives,” said Sims.

“People need to get to work, they need to get their kids to school and they need food from the grocery store – these aren’t frivolous luxuries that they can cut back on even when they’re punished with a carbon tax.”

Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer

Some at least seem to know that taxing something necessary to live is unfair, and in fact one would think to be punishment.  Yesterday Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer stated, “If you ask me, heating your home is a necessity, not a luxury.  You know that. I know that.

But Justin Trudeau doesn’t seem to.”

“That’s because he has never had to worry about balancing a family budget. He doesn’t know how a cold snap can affect a family’s bottom line.”

We were lied to when the tax was first introduced ... and we have been lied to every year since!  When the carbon tax was first introduced 2008, the BC Liberal government promised the tax hikes would stop at $30 per tonne and it would always be “revenue neutral.”

LIES – LIES – LIES as the tax rate goes from $35 up to $40 in a matter of a few weeks ... and will continue to increase each year by $5 per tonne until it reaches $50 per tonne in 2021.

Revenue neutral?  NO!

Reduces Carbon emissions?  NO!

Back to Manitoba where Premier Pallister is INSTEAD saying that it will implement an exemption to ensure the PST will not apply on the federal carbon tax – a measure that will save Manitoba families and businesses $3.6 million in 2019.

“We are putting money back on the kitchen table for families, seniors and households across the province,” said Pallister.

He went on to note Manitoba does not accept the federal government’s imposition of a higher, rising carbon tax, and will continue to move forward with implementing the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan without a carbon tax.

In his announcement yesterday, Andrew Scheer also stated that, “If I become Prime Minister, not only will I scrap the carbon tax, but I’ll also bring in tax-free home energy – completely removing the federal tax from your home heating and energy bill.”

Here in BC meanwhile, we are told that the amount of carbon tax paid by British Columbians will vary depending on family consumption and household use of taxable fuels for heating, cooking and transportation.
Vary indeed!

Those in metro Vancouver see an average January high of 7 degrees Celsius ... those in greater Victoria (where the hot air coming from the legislature keeps residential heating bills lower) average 8 degrees ... while people living in Abbotsford come in a 6.

Meantime in January, Ft. St. John has average High / Low winter temperate of -9 to -18, in Ft Nelson the average is between -18 to -25 ... and Prince George in January is -3 to -10

Given those temperatures ... and the need for heat, no matter what your income ... tell me who you think will be paying more in carbon taxes to live, work, and play.  Yes indeed there certainly is a LOT of variation in who pays

So I ask, Is the Carbon Tax fairly applied?  NOT A CHANCE!

Here’s one more comment from Kris Sims:

“For years, the carbon-tax cheerleaders continued to laud the fee that’s been tacked on to carbon-emitting goods and services, urging the rest of the country to follow suit. It was touted as a magical formula that would somehow protect the environment and lower taxes all at once. Visions of hydrogen-powered buses and solar cars danced in the heads of the green bean counters. “Revenue neutral” they all sang.”

Is the Carbon Tax Revenue Neutral?  NOT A CHANCE!

Instead carbon taxes in BC have simply become just one more source of income for government ... just another tax to add to all of the others we in British Columbia have to pay.  That includes 7% PST on the following for children:
... hooded baby towels ... sports equipment ... disposable diapers ... winter scarves and earmuffs ... children’s blankets ... just to name a few.

Meantime Pallister spoke with passion stating that his province will not accept the federal government’s imposition of a higher, rising carbon tax, and will continue to move forward with implementing the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan without a carbon tax.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops.  Please take a moment to share any thoughts you have on this commentary in the Comment Section below.  And as always, I encourage you to pass this on to any you feel may be interested.