As Pierre Poilievre prepares to mark today含羞草研究社檚 carbon tax hike with an Axe the Tax rally in Nanaimo, an energy think tank says the tax will ultimately make most British Columbians better off.
But Trevor Melanson, communications director with Clean Energy Canada, also said tax supporters must do a better job of explaining the tax, which rose by 23 per cent to $80 per tonne April 1.
Melanson said Poilievre and seven provincial premiers opposed to the tax increase are talking about it for political gain.
含羞草研究社淭hey could choose to ignore it (the tax) and we could all just get on with doing our part to combat climate change,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淪o part of it is a choice to make it a political fight. But also the 含羞草研究社楢xe The Tax含羞草研究社� side of this fight has an easier story to tell.含羞草研究社�
Melanson said the argument of the federal Conservative leader and his supporters literally consists of its three-word slogan.
含羞草研究社淭hey don含羞草研究社檛 need to tell you anything else for you to have a basic concept what their argument is,含羞草研究社� Melanson said.
The carbon tax is not the 含羞草研究社渢rue culprit of why things have gotten so expensive in this country and in this province,含羞草研究社� Melanson said in echoing hundreds of economists from university departments across the country. They recently issued a letter stating global factors such COVID-19 and international conflicts have 含羞草研究社渕ainly含羞草研究社� contributed to inflation, not carbon taxes.
含羞草研究社淎ccording to the Bank of Canada, carbon pricing has caused less than 1/20th of Canada含羞草研究社檚 inflation in the past two years. 含羞草研究社淐limate change, on the other hand, poses a real threat to Canadians含羞草研究社� economic well-being. For example, it increases the risk and severity of natural disturbances, such as fires, floods, and severe storms.含羞草研究社�
Melanson said these have become part of daily life.
含羞草研究社淪o we all know we need to do something and there is really no-zero cost option here,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淥bviously, not solving climate change is not zero cost. It含羞草研究社檚 the most costly option.含羞草研究社�
The public may not fully understand the elegance of the carbon tax and corresponding rebate as a price signal to encourage choices that cut greenhouse gas emissions, Melanson said.
One hundred per cent of this month含羞草研究社檚 increase in the carbon tax will be rebated back.
含羞草研究社淚 look at lots of polling on this, I have been in focus groups含羞草研究社nd the overwhelming majority of people do not (understand) how carbon pricing works,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淲hat we needed is something like a national education campaign to help people understand it,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 think it could have raised better awareness of a lot of the climate measures they (governments) have been doing.含羞草研究社�
RELATED:
Melanson added that governments should have done launched such an information campaign years ago.
含羞草研究社�(They) are up against the three easiest words in politics,含羞草研究社� he said.
However, the declining popularity of the carbon tax also may not be just about a failure to communicate.
Currently less than half of 含羞草研究社榯ax households含羞草研究社� B.C. 含羞草研究社� 43 per cent 含羞草研究社� receive the full climate action tax credit. About two-thirds receive a full or partial credits. Government wants to stretch this to 80 per cent by 2030 by raising eligibility thresholds.
Experts have also pointed out that government collects more than in carbon tax revenue than it returns in the form of rebates. B.C.含羞草研究社檚 budget currently shows government collecting just under $9.1 billion in revenues through the tax, and returning $3.52 billion through the credit.
When asked about this difference, Environment Minister George Heyman said a 含羞草研究社渟ignificant amount of that money goes towards supporting a range of investments and incentives and rebates含羞草研究社� whether it is for public transportation, zero-emission vehicles or heat pumps.
含羞草研究社淲e are also supporting the industry through the Clean BC Industry fund, we are investing substantial amounts in electrification for both the electricity that families will need in the future and industry will need to ensure that they lower their carbon emissions and are therefore more successful, more competitive and pay less carbon tax.含羞草研究社�
Melanson called the tax progressive and moving people in the right direction.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 largely been the story across the country, that most people end up better off under a carbon price.含羞草研究社�
