As the Trudeau government sends out carbon tax rebate payments to people living in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Friday, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) says the rebates won’t offset the cost – leaving people worse off.
The Liberals claimed 80% of households living in the four provinces would receive more money from rebates than they paid for in carbon taxes, however, data from the nonpartisan Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) says otherwise, according to the CTF.
“The PBO’s data shows those numbers are magic math,” said the CTF.
According to the PBO, the total price of the carbon tax for the average Alberta household in 2022 will be $2,004, while the federal rebate is set to be $1,333. Meaning, the tax will cost the average Alberta household $671.
Meanwhile, the carbon tax will cost the average Saskatchewan household $390, Ontario household $360 and Manitoba household $299.
These figures are expected to rise over the decade, costing the average household in the four provinces over a thousand dollars come 2030.
The tax will cost Alberta households $2,282 in 2030, while Saskatchewan households will pay $1,464, Ontario households $1,461 and Manitoba households $1,145.
It is estimated that the carbon tax will cost Albertan households a total of $13,041 between 2022 and 2030, while costing Saskatchewanian households $8,091, Ontarian households $8,059 and Manitoban households $6,439.
Trudeau’s carbon pricing scheme was announced in 2018 after several Canadian provinces elected Conservative governments who pledged to scrap provincial carbon taxes. The federal “price on pollution” came into effect on April 1, 2019.
The tax was initially supposed to be raised annually until it reached $50 per tonne in 2022. However, the Trudeau government announced in 2020 it would continue raising its carbon tax until it reaches $170 per tonne by 2030.
In addition, an analysis published by the Canadian Press says the second carbon tax could increase gas prices by 13 cents per liter by 2030, costing Canadian households up to $301.
Some Canadian premiers recently urged Trudeau to suspend his carbon tax amid high gas prices.
“Now is not the time to be further increasing energy costs for Canadians,” wrote Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson in a joint letter in March.
Premier Kenney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have also suspended their province’s gas tax to provide relief to residents.
However, the Trudeau government is opting to continue charging Canadians its carbon tax, despite other countries giving their citizens gas tax holidays.
