Trudeau’s carbon tax will cost taxpayers extra $43 million to implement
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax is expected to be a boon for the federal government while lightening the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.
The carbon tax, which Trudeau imposed on major provinces in 2019, requires the provinces to pay a tax on carbon emissions in the war against “climate change”. The federal carbon tax was raised to C$50 per ton of carbon emissions on April 1st and will be raised by C$10 each year until 2030.
In addition to the carbon tax, the Environment and Climate Change Ministry revealed, in response to an inquiry by Alberta Conservative MP Chris Warkentin, that the operational costs of imposing the carbon tax total about C$43 million and include over 333 federal jobs. C$38.4 million will be used to pay the 300 federal workers who will manage the direct-to-consumer fuel surcharge program, and C$4.36 million will be used to pay the other 33 workers who will manage the output-based pricing system on so-called polluters, according to Rebel News.
The carbon tax manifests itself in various ways for Canadian citizens, one of which is a hike in gasoline prices. Due to the tax, provinces will be charging their residents an extra 11 cents per liter of gasoline, up from 8.8 cents, according to CBC.
The Trudeau administration has insisted that citizens will benefit from the tax through federal tax rebates, instituted to reward Canadians for living a more environment-friendly lifestyle.
But Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says that Canadians will be worse off when other factors, such as the hit to the GDP and labor income, are considered.
By next year, calculates Giroux, the average Manitoba household will be worse off by C$299. The average Ontario household will be worse off by C$360. The average Saskatchewan household will be worse off by C$390 and the average Alberta household will be worse off by C$671.
April’s carbon tax increase came as Canada’s parliament officials took their third pay raise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the lion’s share going to Prime Minister Trudeau.
According to CKPG News, Trudeau’s salary increased to C$379,404, a C$21,604 increase from his pre-pandemic salary. Ministers saw an increase of C$15,865, and senators enjoyed a C$10,802 salary hike.
Given that these selfsame officials were responsible for locking down and fining Canadian citizens during the pandemic — costing countless livelihoods — 79% of Canadians oppose the pay raise for officials, according to a poll by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).
CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano called it a “slap in the face” to Canadians.
“It’s wrong for politicians to pocket bigger paycheques while the people they represent suffer through a pandemic, pay cuts, job and business losses,” said Terrazzano.
“It shouldn’t be rocket science for MPs to do the right thing and stop taking bigger salaries during the pandemic.”
