It would be comical if it wasn’t so serious and dishonest. When the consumer carbon tax finally came off as of April 1, the decline in gasoline prices was celebrated widely on social media. Some Liberal supporters even shamelessly thanked Liberal Leader Mark Carney for this change. What a joke. Of course, it was Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre who had fought hard for years to demonize this harmful tax and raise the awareness of Canadians about how truly useless it was. Poilievre deserves all the credit for at least temporarily ridding Canadians of this scourge. It may well be temporary because the legislation pertaining to the consumer carbon tax is still on the books; Carney just reduced the rate to zero as it could be done without reconvening Parliament. It will be telling to see whether that legislation is actually removed whenever Parliament resumes if Canada ends up with another Liberal government.
Anyone with even a short-term memory will recall that mere months ago, we were told by Liberals that the carbon tax was essential so that Canada could meet its climate obligations, and that it would verge on the criminal to remove it. Canadians were also told that the majority of us got back more in carbon tax rebates than we paid in carbon tax. This claim was debunked by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, among others, but continued to be cited by Liberals and their supporters. If this were true, we must assume by removing the tax and the rebate that most Canadians will now suffer a loss of funds and that the change should not be celebrated. But such is Liberal logic that we must now forget what was said just a short while ago.
Canadians were also told for years that the carbon tax did not contribute to increasing the price of food, consumer products, business costs and pretty much everything else. Yet now Liberals are boasting that the removal of the carbon tax will make life more affordable and bring down the cost of living. Huh? What happened to the tax not fuelling inflation? Guess that was then, this is now. All in all, a pretty dishonest claim, even for Liberals.
Even if the consumer carbon tax is gone, at least for now, we know Carney plans to impose an even greater tax on businesses in the form of a higher industrial carbon tax than currently exists should he win the election. This tax is hidden, but will be passed on to consumers as all such taxes ultimately are. The industrial carbon tax also makes our economy less competitive with other countries which have no such tax, which includes some of our largest trading partners. If anyone thinks consumers won’t just be paying another carbon tax – and a less visible one – should the Liberals win the next election, they’re dreaming.
Carney has also said he favours some kind of import tariff for goods from countries that do not have their own carbon pricing regime – a so-called “carbon border adjustment.” In other words, imports into Canada will become more expensive, boosting inflation.
The Liberals have, at least for now, removed the most visible, most loathed carbon tax strictly for electoral purposes. All indications are that, if the Liberals form the next government, additional carbon levies will be imposed which will be at least as bad, if not worse, than the consumer carbon tax. Carney also favours a carbon credit trading system, something widely acknowledged to be akin to a Ponzi scheme and highly vulnerable to abuse, as has been seen in Europe and other jurisdictions that have experimented with it.
If any Canadian does feel themselves tempted to be grateful to Carney for this change, they should give their head a shake. Carney has been a long-time supporter of carbon taxes, and was advising the Trudeau government when the tax was imposed. In fact, he is on the record saying that the tax was actually set too low and needed to be increased. As the Liberals are finally admitting how bad and ineffective this tax actually is, why didn’t they remove it years ago or not impose it in the first place? Their complete about-face, claiming credit for removing the wound they inflicted, would make George Orwell proud. John Ivison of the National Post may have had the best take on this, when he wrote “It takes some gall for an assailant to look for gratitude because he stops punching you in the face.”
She has published numerous articles in journals, magazines & other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship & women business owners. Ms. Swift is a past President of the Empire Club of Canada, a former Director of the CD Howe Institute, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, past President of the International Small Business Congress and current Director of the Fraser Institute. She was cited in 2003 & 2012 as one of the most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network & is a recipient of the Queen’s Silver & Gold Jubilee medals.
