Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, says that record high gas prices are partly due to the carbon tax and the lack of pipeline capacity.
“On April 1, the carbon tax in B.C. was increased from $35 per ton to $40 per ton. This means that as the carbon tax increases, so do our gas and home heating bills,” said MP McLeod. “This will only get worse since the Prime Minister has mandated a carbon tax of $50 per ton by 2022.”
“Then yesterday, Trudeau’s Minister of Natural Resources told media the government may not make a decision on expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline until after the upcoming election,” McLeod added. “This means a continued reliance on rail, and a crippled ability to get Canada’s clean, ethical oil to markets in Asia.”
“Trudeau also has stated that high gas prices are ‘exactly’ what he wants, but high prices only make it harder for families. This is hitting rural Canadians the most,” stated McLeod.
B.C.’s carbon tax will generate close to $6 billion in tax revenue over the next three years. The Liberals’ “climate action” tax rebate, which is intended to offset those costs to lower income Canadians, is forecast to return just $928 million to families.
“In B.C., the carbon tax is not revenue neutral. In fact, when the B.C. Liberals first implemented the carbon tax in 2008, they promised it would stop rising at $30 per ton and be revenue neutral while reducing carbon emissions,” said McLeod. “None of those promises turned out to be true.”
“Trudeau stated in April 2018 that he wants all Canadians to face higher gas prices due to his carbon tax. According to a recent Ipsos survey, almost half of Canadians believe they are $200 away from insolvency. This means that life is about to get very unpredictable for many,” concluded McLeod.
