VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

APRIL 1 CARBON LEVY NOT A JOKE

April 1 is approaching fast and with it the increase in the contentious carbon tax from $65 a tonne to $80.

It is likely one of the most unpopular taxes since the GST was born in the early 1990s and led to one of the greatest political defeats in Canadian history.

This tax, however, makes no sense as it is likely not even going to fight climate change. It will cost Canadians, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office, $911 more than what they are receiving in rebates. The cost of it alone to administer is likely far outweighed by any benefit it could be to help the environment.

The Liberal government would be wise to abolish it, admitting they made a mistake, and come up with a more direct way to fight climate change.

One possible solution would be a fund to fight wildfires that are now a constant annual occurrence in Canada. Because of our wildfires last year, it was recently reported that our air polution skyrocketed in 2023, making Canada the most air polluted country in North America with most of our western cities registering higher air pollution amounts in comparison with their U.S counterparts.

This is a deeply distrubing pattern and certainly not healthy for the residents of these cities. It would be economically beneficial to redirect all the monies saved from the carbon tax rebate to be allocated instead toward a special reserve fund to fight and prevent future wildfires.

Abandoning the hated carbon tax would also likely result in the resignation of Minister of the Environment Steven Guilbeault. That may not be a bad thing either, for not only the Liberals but for most provincial governments, as well.

Time to act, Mr. Prime Minister.

John Moore, Halifax