Correcting the Trudeau government’s political spin defending its carbon tax is like playing whack-a-mole.
You deal with one nonsensical claim and another pops up.
For example, the false impression the Liberals try to create that the carbon tax is mainly about the price of gasoline and home heating fuel.
In reality, the carbon tax increases the cost of 22 forms of fossil fuel energy.
That’s why it increases the cost of almost everything, because almost all goods and services are created using fossil fuels.
On April 1, the carbon tax increases by 23% to $80 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions, up from $65, followed by annual hikes of $15 every April 1 until 2030, when it will be $170 per tonne.
The carbon tax will increase the cost of gasoline by three cents a litre to 17.61 cents on April 1, rising to 37.43 cents in 2030.
The cost of natural gas will increase by 2.86 cents per cubic metre, to 15.25 cents, rising to 32.40 cents in 2030.
Here’s the added cost of the carbon tax on 20 other fuels on April 1, and in 2030.
Propane: 12.38 cents/litre; 26.31 cents.
Aviation gasoline: 19.59 cents/litre; 41.63 cents.
Aviation turbo fuel: 20.65 cents/litre; 43.89 cents.
Butane: 14.24 cents/litre; 30.26 cents.
Coke: $254.38/tonne; $540.55.
Coke oven gas: 5.6 cents/cubic metre; 11.9 cents.
Combustible waste: $159.78/tonne; $339.54.
Ethane: 8.15 cents/litre; 17.3 cents.
Gas liquids: 13.31 cents/litre; 28.28 cents.
Heavy fuel oil: 25.50 cents/litre; 54.19 cents.
High heat value coal: $178.48/tonne; $379.28.
Kerosene: 20.65 cents/litre; 43.89 cents.
Light fuel oil (diesel): 21.39 cents/litre; 45.45 cents.
Low heat value coal: $141.80/tonne; $301.31.
Methanol: 8.78 cents/litre; 18.67 cents.
Naphtha: 18.03 cents/litre; 38.32 cents.
Non-marketable natural gas: 20.35 cents/cubic metre; 43.25 cents.
Petroleum coke: 30.18 cents/litre; 64.13 cents.
Pentanes plus: 14.24 cents/litre; 30.26 cents.
Still gas: 17.18 cents/cubic metre; 36.5 cents.
The Liberals say 80% of households in the eight provinces paying the carbon tax (Quebec and B.C. have separate systems) receive more in rebates than they pay in carbon taxes.
But parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux, says when the negative economic impact of the carbon tax is factored in, 60% pay more than they receive in rebates, rising to 80% in Nova Scotia in 2025, in Ontario in 2026, in Manitoba in 2029 and in Alberta and P.E.I. in 2030.
Here are the PBO’s estimated annual net costs (after rebates) for average households paying the carbon tax as of April 1, and in 2030.
Alberta $911, $2,773; Ontario $627, $1,820; Saskatchewan $525, $1,723; Manitoba $502, $1,490; Nova Scotia $537, $1,513; P.E.I. $550, $1,521; Newfoundland and Labrador $377, $1,316.
New Brunswick joined the federal system after these estimates were completed, and the carbon tax carve out for households using home heating oil temporarily reduces their costs for three years.
The Trudeau government argues the PBO didn’t factor in the economic costs of climate change.
But claiming the carbon tax will result in financial savings due to less severe weather in Canada by 2030, when our emissions at 1.5% of the global total don’t materially impact climate change, as the PBO notes, is absurd.
The government says the carbon tax is revenue neutral.
It’s not. The government keeps the GST imposed on top of the carbon tax and hasn’t rebated billions of dollars promised to small businesses.
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