Premier Christy Clark had her dancing shoes on as yet another 含羞草研究社渃limate change含羞草研究社� meeting ended in disarray in Vancouver last week.
含羞草研究社淭his is not the end,含羞草研究社� Clark assured reporters after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers emerged with no agreement on a national minimum carbon price. No kidding.
Trudeau declared victory by announcing the unanimous consent to a 含羞草研究社淰ancouver Declaration,含羞草研究社� which basically pays lip service to the concept of 含羞草研究社渃arbon pricing含羞草研究社� and kicks another grand federal election promise down the road.
[Vancouver Declaration . Its first promise is to "increase the level of ambition." No kidding.]
As the rest headed for jets waiting at Vancouver airport, Clark expressed the hope that the public would say 含羞草研究社渢hey got together and they made progress.含羞草研究社� Did they? Let含羞草研究社檚 take a look.
Going into the Whistler-Vancouver stop on Trudeau含羞草研究社檚 globe-trotting glamour tour, Clark correctly noted that it含羞草研究社檚 other provinces that need to make progress. B.C. has a clear price on carbon emissions; it含羞草研究社檚 been held at $30 a tonne since Clark succeeded its creator, Gordon Campbell.
Clark含羞草研究社檚 advice for other premiers is to follow Campbell含羞草研究社檚 example of a revenue-neutral carbon tax, offset by income tax reductions. You won含羞草研究社檛 build public support for a carbon tax that makes people poorer, she said.
Of course that含羞草研究社檚 what Alberta is doing, at a time when many residents are getting poorer already. Alberta含羞草研究社檚 NDP government plans to match the rate of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 carbon tax within two years and spend the proceeds.
Other premiers have more creative definitions for pricing carbon.
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil pointed to transmission lines and power purchases from the Muskrat Falls dam under construction in Labrador, to substitute hydro for coal-fired power. The highest electricity prices in Canada are their 含羞草研究社渃arbon pricing含羞草研究社� plan.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall pointed to SaskPower含羞草研究社檚 Boundary Dam carbon capture and storage project. It is the world含羞草研究社檚 first coal-fired power station to capture carbon dioxide after combustion. The CO2 is sold to oilfield operators who inject it into declining wells to push more oil out, and the project intends to capture sulphur dioxide and fly ash to process and sell for other industrial uses.
Wall is the only Canadian leader to state a couple of inconvenient truths. The purpose of this exercise is to reduce carbon emissions, not to raise tax revenues. And now is the worst possible time to impose more taxes on the oil and gas industry.
Clark含羞草研究社檚 stand-pat strategy on the B.C. carbon tax is going to change this year, as positioning begins for the 2017 election. A B.C. government advisory panel has recommended a 33 per cent increase, conveniently starting in 2018, with annual increases after that.
The current seven-cent-per-litre carbon tax on gasoline sold in B.C. is hardly a deterrent these days, as pump prices have tumbled and could stay low for years to come. And with a fragile economy, it seems unlikely that a big boost in carbon taxes will find favour with voters a year from now.
The B.C. NDP is trying to rebuild its credibility on climate policy. NDP leader John Horgan tried to revise the party含羞草研究社檚 history, claiming in year-end interviews that the NDP didn含羞草研究社檛 oppose the carbon tax, only making it revenue neutral rather than spending the money on green initiatives, as Alberta wants to do.
Alas, the NDP含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁xe the tax含羞草研究社� campaign going into the 2009 election is a matter of record. The party含羞草研究社檚 election platform warned that Campbell含羞草研究社檚 plan 含羞草研究社渋ncreases taxes for average families by tripling the gas tax含羞草研究社� to its current level.
Last week the NDP issued a news release denouncing Clark for presiding over increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc
