New data throws a wrench in the Liberal government’s claim that Canadians are benefiting more from carbon tax rebates than they are paying out in taxes.
According to the first annual report on carbon tax revenues, Canadians paid as much as 21% more than they received in rebates in certain provinces impacted by the federal levy.
The report lays out how across several provinces, Canadians paid a total of $454.9 million more on the carbon tax than the government paid out.
In Ontario, residents paid 20% more than they received in rebates. Meanwhile, New Brunswickers paid 21% more than they got back. As for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, people paid 19% and 9% more respectively.
Shortly after introducing the federal levy on defiant provinces, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Canadians would actually benefit from the program.
“The average citizens of those provinces will be better off with this price on pollution than they would be had there been no price on pollution,” said Trudeau.
According to the Department of Environment, the rebates will balance out the shortfalls eventually.
“As actual proceeds and the total amount of proceeds returned in a specific jurisdiction through Climate Action Incentive payments may differ from estimates, adjustments will be made,” claimed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Annual Report For 2019.
However, critics have pointed out that Canadians are likely to suffer unnecessarily from the additional tax which has yet proven to be an effective strategy for reducing carbon emissions.
In True North’s exclusive documentary Green Hypocrisy, Candice Malcolm lays out the flaws in the Liberal government’s claims about the carbon tax.
