IN THE LEDGE – Will the NDP spike the carbon tax hike scheduled for April 1?

Excerpt from debate in the B.C. Legislature on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

P. Milobar: Let’s remember that when the government changed, the first thing they did was remove revenue neutrality from the carbon tax and lifted the freeze at $30 a tonne, which will now be $80 a tonne, a $50 increase, which is a more than doubling of the carbon tax, actually. Let’s be clear that a single mom in British Columbia pays far more in carbon taxes than they get back. In fact, an average B.C. family pays nearly $1,200 more in carbon taxes net than they do next door in Alberta. On April 1, the cost of filling up at a gas station will rise again by 23 percent under this Premier. Will the NDP Premier spike the carbon tax hike on April 1 and give British Columbians the relief they need?

Hon. G. Heyman: Let me help the member opposite with a quote from his leader on September 23, 2023. It goes like this. “When we introduced North America’s first revenue-neutral carbon tax back in 2008, if my memory serves me correctly, I was very proud to be part of the government that did that, because what we said was that we were going to put a carbon tax on emissions, because that’s the market way to deal with something…”

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. G. Heyman: If you want people to change behaviour, you put a cost to it, and you ask them to consider shifting their behaviour. The difference between this government and their government is that we take the carbon tax money, and we give it back to British Columbians…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Member.

Hon. G. Heyman: At twice the rate that they did.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. G. Heyman: I’m sure British Columbians will notice that the members opposite think it’s a laughing matter to give money back to British Columbians instead of to corporations.

The Speaker: Member for Kamloops–North Thompson, supplemental.

P. Milobar: Well, the difference is that B.C. United will actually give real tax relief to British Columbians. We’ll eliminate the provincial fuel tax, and we’ll spike the Premier’s planned carbon tax.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

P. Milobar: This Premier’s double standards know no bounds. The minister talks about breaks for large industrial emitters, $450 million, and seems to forget that he was the minister that signed off on an agreement with LNG Canada to give them a $600 million PST holiday. Does the minister of environment not remember signing that deal with LNG?

Interjections.

The Speaker: Let’s hear the question, please.

Members. Shhh. Members.

P. Milobar: Let’s look at how this Premier deals with large industrial emitters. While they are insisting that British Columbians and their average households pay $80 a ton carbon tax, this Premier is actually giving large industrial operations a break from paying any carbon tax. B.C. United thinks that maybe regular British Columbians should get a bit of a break, just like the large industrial emitters that this environment minister seems to want to give a break.

If you heat your home with natural gas, the Premier is going to jack up your bill by 23 percent as well on April 1. It’s time, when life has never been more expensive, that this Premier spike the tax hike on April 1 and give British Columbians the same type of break they’re willing to give large industrial emitters in this province.

Hon. G. Heyman: I’m proud, as everyone in our government is proud, that we introduced a new output-based pricing system for large industrial emitters that sends an adequate price signal while maintaining competitiveness. The result of that is that it’s been praised by industry, and it’s been praised by climate activists.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, Members.

Shhh.

Members, it’s good to enjoy the question period. It’s wonderful, but we still have to go through it.

Okay, let’s hear the answer.

Hon. G. Heyman: Hon. Speaker, we continue to take measures to support British Columbians every day, whether it is the B.C. family benefit, whether it is reducing and holding steady B.C. Hydro rates, whether it is reducing ICBC rates, whether it is supporting people to make the shift to electric heat pumps to have homes that are more comfortable and cost less in energy, and whether it is giving 100 percent of the increase in the carbon tax back to low and middle income British Columbians.

It’s unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition and the members opposite are willing to mortgage their kids’ and their grandkids’ future in the face of climate change instead of getting families and various families support in so many ways. We have lowered taxes….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, Members, shhh.

We have lots of questions more, Members. Just take it easy.

Minister will conclude.

Hon. G. Heyman: Let’s just leave it at this, Mr. Speaker. A family with two kids, earning $100,000 pays over a third less in provincial taxes than they did when those members were on this side of the House.

Source: BC Hansard.