By Greg Fry

Kamloops Chamber lobbying to make carbon tax revenue neutral again

Apr 10, 2018 | 3:17 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce has passed a resolution seeking to have the carbon tax made revenue neutral.

The tax was previously revenue neutral under B.C.’s Liberal government but that changed once the minority NDP government took office last year.

“The idea that a sin tax (a tax on items considered harmful like alcohol or tobacco) like a carbon tax is now coming into general revenue and is going to fund things like hospitals and roads and social services and other types of development raises the question of what happens if the stated goal of the carbon tax is achieved, the production of carbon is reduced,” says President of the Board of Directors Joshua Knaak. 

“Now suddenly the government is in a situation where either they have reduced revenue or where they need to increase the tax on it just to break even.”

Knaak adds there were businesses that had far less issue paying the carbon tax when they knew that it was going toward research and development for the creation of clean technologies.

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“Now this really seems to be becoming a tax just like anything else.”

Knaak says the chamber would also like clarity around the process of offsetting the cost of pollution in an effort to encourage a competitive business environment and a strong economy.

He says the issue will be up for debate at the BC Chamber of Commerce AGM in Kamloops from May 24 to 26.