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By Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Carbon tax relief for British Columbians long overdue

Nov 2, 2023 | 10:30 AM

NEARLY EVERY DAY, I hear from someone struggling with the rising cost of living. By almost every metric, life in B.C. is getting more expensive and regular errands like trips to the grocery store or filling up your car with gas have become anxiety-inducing experiences as prices continue to soar.

People are falling behind, barely making ends meet, with little relief on the horizon from this NDP government. Our BC United caucus has spent months calling on government to step up on behalf of British Columbians, suggesting numerous measures they could take to help people hit hardest by the affordability crisis. Unfortunately, the NDP has failed to get results to make life more affordable for people.

Conversely, BC United Leader Kevin Falcon has introduced a four-point plan to immediately provide relief to those impacted by NDP taxation. I was proud to stand alongside Kevin this week as he announced this plan, aimed at improving affordability for everyday people and helping to ensure more money stays in your pocket.

A BC United government would immediately remove the provincial fuel tax, saving people up to 15 cents per litre of gas. This would mean $30 in savings every time you fill up your truck, or close to $20 every time you fill up your minivan. What could you do with $30 more every week? How would that help you at the grocery store?

This measure would have the added benefit of making groceries and other goods cheaper, as lower gas prices mean lower shipping costs, making it less expensive for products to get on store shelves.

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Next, we would remove the carbon tax from all home heating fuels. Especially here in the Interior and throughout rural B.C., home heating is a necessity. We cannot allow this life-saving essential to become prohibitively expensive.

Additionally, we would take the carbon tax off on-farm fuel use, lowering costs for our hard-working farmers, ranchers and the agricultural sector. Not only would this provide relief to farmers in desperate need of support, but this measure would also help make groceries more affordable.

Finally, we would freeze the carbon tax at today’s rate, ensuring British Columbians are not forced to endure continually increasing prices in the years ahead.

We have also promised that if decision makers in Ottawa choose to scrap the federal carbon tax, we will remove it in B.C. as well, ensuring that our province does not fall behind the rest of the country.

This is a clear, effective plan that would have an immediate impact on people’s daily lives. This is not a lofty promise that would be impossible to fulfil, it’s a set of realistic actions that would help real people, right away.

We cannot let government continue to ignore this serious problem or pretend there’s nothing they can do to make a difference. Clearly, there are reasonable actions that government could take to provide relief to British Columbians in need — and our BC United caucus is committed to doing just that.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.