B.C. NDP leader John Horgan has set out his vision for B.C.含羞草研究社檚 carbon tax, now that the party finds itself able to advocate the measure it once bitterly opposed.
Here含羞草研究社檚 a quote from the NDP含羞草研究社檚 2009 election platform, under leader Carole James: 含羞草研究社淕ordon Campbell含羞草研究社檚 plan increases taxes for average families by tripling the gas tax. And Campbell含羞草研究社檚 top advisor says it has to increase to 24 cents on every litre of gas.含羞草研究社�
Since Campbell含羞草研究社檚 former finance minister Carole Taylor introduced it, it did indeed triple, to $30 per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions, where it has stayed since Christy Clark became premier. That translates to about seven cents on a litre of gasoline.
Then last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decreed that the 含羞草研究社渃arbon price含羞草研究社� shall be raised nation-wide, $10 each year to $50 a tonne, by 2022. That含羞草研究社檚 12 cents on a litre of gasoline. If provinces don含羞草研究社檛 do it by carbon tax or emissions trading, Trudeau will attempt to force it on them.
Clark含羞草研究社檚 intention is to wait until 2021, when other provinces have caught up to B.C., then raise it in two $10 increments. Horgan proposes to do it in three stages.
Clark has pledged that it will remain revenue neutral, with proceeds returned mainly via reduced personal, small business and corporate income tax rates, a northern and rural homeowner benefit of up to $200 a year, a seniors含羞草研究社� home renovation tax credit and a few other breaks.
These tax breaks are real, despite what people may say down at your local coffee shop. The first two provincial income tax brackets are currently reduced by five per cent, and the province expects to pay out $83 million this year in northern and rural credits.
Reductions to the general corporate income tax rate are budgeted to total $236 million this year. That含羞草研究社檚 a target for Horgan, judging by his rhetoric about the current system benefiting Clark含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渃orporate backers.含羞草研究社�
Horgan also wants to spend some of the proceeds of future carbon tax increases on energy efficiency, transit and so forth. He promises to leave the personal income tax reductions alone.
Green Party leader Andrew Weaver looks like your best choice to impose that 24-cents-a-litre tax that the NDP warned us about eight years ago. That含羞草研究社檚 a rate that would actually force more people onto bikes and buses. Other than that, Weaver含羞草研究社檚 main focus these days is to kill B.C.含羞草研究社檚 natural gas industry.
Horgan含羞草研究社檚 reluctant conversion to climate warrior is now complete. He has adopted the term 含羞草研究社渃arbon pollution,含羞草研究社� which is, to be polite about it, a false description that defies even high-school science about the basis of all life on Earth.
He is right, however, that B.C.含羞草研究社檚 emissions continue to rise as population and the economy grow.
And here含羞草研究社檚 the bottom line, B.C. voters. Even if you accept the propaganda that human-generated CO2 is suddenly the sole driver of climate change, when you look at a global context, none of this Canadian posturing matters a damn bit.
Barack Obama含羞草研究社檚 great Paris climate deal with China and India allows them to continue ramping up emissions until at least 2030. Donald Trump will soon pull the U.S. out of the toothless Paris accord and end Obama含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渨ar on coal.含羞草研究社� So that含羞草研究社檚 the world含羞草研究社檚 top three greenhouse gas emitters out.
Your choices for May 9 are: the BC Liberal status quo, the NDP embarking on a state-directed infrastructure program funded by you, or the Green Party含羞草研究社檚 vision to keep our carbon fuels in the ground, as our American-financed protest industry keeps demanding.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc
