Dear Editor,
I write to provide clarity surrounding the impact of the Liberal government’s costly carbon tax. I use the word “costly” because yes, it generally costs you more than you receive back in rebates. According to the independent, non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), in Ontario, a family that pays $1,674 in carbon taxes only gets back $1,047 in rebates, resulting in a loss of $627 when you consider fiscal and economic impacts. Despite what this Liberal government claims, the PBO analysis finds that “taking into consideration both fiscal and economic impacts, we estimate that most households will see a net loss.”
This is just the first step in this Liberal government’s plan to quadruple the carbon tax over the next six years.
The carbon tax is a compounding tax, meaning that it increases the costs of goods throughout the supply chain. Take groceries for example: if you tax the farmers who grow the food, the manufacturers who process our food, the truckers who ship the food, you increase the price of food at the grocery store.
Furthermore, Canadians discovered the Liberal government was withholding information on how the carbon tax will cost Canadians $30.5 billion by 2030. This works out to $1,824 per family in extra annual costs. The Liberal government hid this number for years. It was only revealed when the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) told Canadians that Trudeau had placed a gag order on his office. After immense political pressure for weeks, the Liberal government was forced to reveal the true damage their tax is causing the Canadian economy.
It is clear that the Liberal carbon tax is not an environment plan, but it is a tax plan. Since the introduction of the carbon tax, the Liberal government has failed to meet a single emissions target, aside from 2020, when federal and provincial lockdown measures were in place. The Climate Change Performance Index ranks Canada 62 out of 67 spots, and Canada has fallen several spots on that ranking under the Liberal government.
Earlier this year, the Liberal government even admitted that “The government does not measure the annual number of emissions that are directly reduced by federal carbon pricing.” And the government’s own Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development also said, “Our past audits show that Canada has failed to meet many of its climate and biodiversity targets….”
Despite the many failings of this tax and the punishing cost to Canadians, the Liberal government has ignored the will of the elected House of Commons and has refused to hold a First Ministers Meeting on the carbon tax. It’s clear that this Liberal government does not want to defend its carbon tax in the public forum after the majority of Canada’s Premiers have called for an end to the costly tax.
In the big picture, Canada contributes 1.5% to global emissions, whereas countries like China, India, and the United States account for approximately 48% alone. Canada’s global emissions could go to 0%, and hardly anything would change without serious commitments from the top three emitters. This isn’t to say we should do nothing, but instead shift our focus to helping our global partners also reduce their emissions. For example, Canada could harness its liquified natural gas (LNG) reserves and export it to countries still burning coal, which could easily help neighbouring countries decrease GHGs. It is disappointing that while our allies are asking for our world class LNG, our Prime Minister told Canadians and the world that there is no business case for it. Tell that to the Germans who built a LNG export terminal from concept to completion within 192 days. Meanwhile, pay cheques and energy production are going overseas, putting dollars in the pockets of dictators instead of powerful pay cheques here at home. A future Common Sense Conservative government will use the approach of technology, not taxes. We will axe the carbon tax so you can bring home more of your pay cheque, and we will remove the gatekeepers so we can get green projects built. These include Canadian LNG, nuclear, and zero-emissions tidal energy like the project off the coast of Nova Scotia that was killed through suffocating red tape and regulatory delays.
Regardless of whether you support a carbon tax or not, the political tides are changing, and Canadians deserve the opportunity to decide in a carbon tax election.
Alex Ruff, MSC, CD, MP Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound
