Carbon tax questions

Re: Conservatives blast procarbon price economists as ‘so-called experts,’ March 27

The Canadian carbon tax is a dumb federal method to manage and try to control Canada’s environmental issues. The carbon tax increase should have been halted or delayed.

First, it is common sense that if Canadians and/or businesses are engaging in actions with negative impacts on the environment, the individuals and/or the organizations need to be warned to rectify their wrongdoings, followed by monetary fines, shutdowns or even jail terms.

How? There should be an environmental policing task force established that’s responsible for having the policing power to enforce.

These licensed inspectors could be named the Canadian Environmental Inspection Policing Dept.

Second, there is a lack of financial common-sense action when the Canadian government hires hundreds of personnel to collect a general tax like the carbon tax and then hires hundreds of employees to in turn distribute cash rebates to Canadians.

These government rebates are unfair as they are being distributed to only one member of a family where all family members are daily paying the tax.

A major problem with this tax is people are paying daily but getting a rebate months later. This affects all Canadians with cash flow. Due to high inflation, Canadians need the cash today to pay expensive utilities and transportation costs, not get a portion back three months down the road.

Third, the big question is, how are carbon tax funds being used in safeguarding the environment? Where is the public reported accounting of how these collected funds are being distributed?

Phil Baranoski, St. Catharines