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By Jackie Tegart, MLA for Fraser-Nicola

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: NDP carbon tax hke adding to British Columbians’ financial burdens

Mar 28, 2024 | 10:30 AM

WITH DAVID EBY STILL PLANNING to increase B.C.’s carbon tax on April 1, our BC United Caucus continues to call on the NDP to halt the hike. British Columbians are facing an affordability crisis with the cost of living higher than ever, folks simply can’t afford another government tax grab that only adds to the financial burden on our families.

Across our province, people are struggling financially. More than half of all British Columbians are less than $200 away from being able to afford their bills each and every month. We see stories daily that paint a vivid picture of the consequences: seniors forced to live in their vehicles; families having to abandon the dream of homeownership; and a record-high number of visits to food banks, stark indicators of the widespread struggles to afford basic necessities.

The NDP government’s continued tax hikes during a cost-of-living crisis diverge significantly from the original intent behind the carbon tax, which was revenue neutral, returning every dollar collected back to British Columbians. However, when the NDP formed government, they took what was once a tax shift and turned it into a tax grab. The implications of this shift were profound, transforming the tax into a direct feed into the government’s coffers, and setting the stage for its continuous escalation. Since that pivotal change, the tax has more than doubled, with NDP plans to triple it by 2030.

These increases come after B.C. is already home to the highest fuel prices and gas taxes in North America. The NDP launched an expensive British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) inquiry into gas prices in the hopes it would appear that they were taking action on affordability. Then they spent more tax dollars to create a government-run website that mimics existing sites like GasBuddy. Both of these initiatives cost you tax dollars while failing to deliver any action on making gas prices more affordable.

Recognizing the urgency of these cost pressures, and the failure of the NDP to lower costs, our BC United Caucus under Kevin Falcon’s leadership, has proposed common-sense measures aimed at alleviating the financial burdens faced by families. We are committed to eliminating the provincial fuel tax, which will offer immediate savings on gasoline and diesel. Additionally, we plan to end David Eby’s planned carbon tax hikes and remove the carbon tax on all home heating and on-farm fuel use, recognizing the need to lower operational costs for farmers to make groceries more affordable.

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We firmly believe that B.C. should not be forced to pay more than the rest of Canada. Should the federal government choose to scrap the federal carbon tax, a BC United government will follow suit, ensuring that British Columbia does not fall behind other provinces.

The BC United Caucus is committed to tackling the NDP’s affordability crisis with common sense policies aimed at helping British Columbians who are paying more than ever for groceries, the highest rents and housing prices in the country, and the highest gas taxes in North America. People deserve a break. United, we’ll fix it.

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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.