Former Liberal leadership candidate Ed Mayne is right, “We don't have a carbon tax we have a consumption tax …”

Today in the BC News Group family of newspapers was a story about the death of the “carbon emission trading plan” … which last week I also mentioned hearing about. 

The BC News Group story indicated that, “BC's carbon emission trading plan died last week at the age of four. No service was announced ... came as BC capital hosted politicians from neighbouring U.S. states and western provinces for their annual economic conference... BC the only jurisdiction in North America with a carbon tax, and an emission reduction target twice as ambitious – 33 per cent by 2020 ... all B.C.’s border states and provinces have an economic advantage for emitting industries...”

Story after story --- year after year --- we've had editorials, studies, papers, and a multitude of opinions showing the carbon tax initiative, first imposed on us by then Liberal Finance Minister Carole Taylor in the Gordon Campbell government (imposed under the guise of reducing the carbon footprint of British Columbians), is nothing more than a sham ... and in reality it is a consumption tax!

Earlier this year the BC Liberal Party elected Christy Clark to replace Gordon Campbell as their leader … one of the other candidates in that race to become the party leader was Ed Mayne; here is what he had to say to in a note to me today:

“We don't have a carbon tax we have a consumption tax on hydrocarbons that is used to offset income tax reductions so we can say we have the lowest income tax rates in Canada. That's ok but let's call it what it is, a consumption tax and quite trying to pretend that it is to help the environment. If the funds were used to offset costs of projects that reduced usage than it could be called a carbon tax.”

To which I said …

Thank goodness ... someone who will admit he is a Liberal -- and -- that this is in reality a consumption tax!!! People HATE being fed a load of crap ... they can however accept truth and reality --- and when it comes to taxes I beleive they can even accept them if an HONEST case can be made for the necessity of them.

On Saturday May 28^th, after being declared the new leader of the BC Conservative Party, John Cummins announced to loud cheers that a BC Conservative government would abolish the Carbon Tax, which would return money to schools and hospitals, which was being robbed from them and sent to the Pacific Carbon Trust.  He said they (schools & hospitals) would NO LONGER be rebating money to the government for carbon tax credits--- money that should instead be going to students and to hospital patients.

John Cummins stated, “Eliminating the Carbon Tax will also save everyday British Columbian's hundreds of dollars on the everyday items they purchase ... clothing, food, homes, heating, and for the gas and diesel British Columbians outside the main urban centers need to get around taking care of everyday responsibilities.”

At the gas pumps is where this so-called revenue neutral tax, imposed by the BC Liberals, hits families and the middle class the hardest ... and especially those outside of urban communities where transit is not readily available.  

And just in case you had forgotten, or were not aware, on July 1st of this year, the carbon tax on gasoline rose to 5.56 cents per liter.  Next year as we celebrate Canada Day, it will rise again to 6.95 cents per litre.

So I ask … who actually likes, or is in favor of the Carbon Tax?  Good grief even two groups one would expect to be on opposite ends of any topic are in agreement.  The Canadian Taxpayers Federation doesn’t like it, and in August of this years they stated, “Even environmentalists are unhappy with BC’s Pacific Carbon Trust, which vacuums taxpayer dollars out of government agencies ($19.4 million worth!) and deposits them in the pockets of corporations, all in the name of “carbon credits.” 

Here’s the bottom line …

• the Carbon Tax has made BC a less welcoming place to live or locate a business.

• it is very doubtful that the avowed intent, cutting down on carbon dioxide, will make one iota of difference to the global situation

• it hits families and the middle class the hardest

I have said this before and I’ll say it again … this BC Liberal government just keeps adding and increasing taxes and fees --- and we are supposed to keep on paying.  That is just wrong.  As BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins has stated … the average family in BC now pays the highest taxes west of Quebec.

These words have also been spoken by Cummins ... the policy cupboard is bare, and this is a tired BC Liberal government. The BC Liberals have gotten a 'free pass' and their record has been embarrassing. 

John Cummins is right … BC Conservatives are right … we need a new BC with common sense leadership.  The BC Liberal Party has shown us time and time again we are NOT going to get that with them.

Saving BC’s environment with a carbon tax was a myth … and former Liberal leadership candidate Ed Mayne is right … “We don't have a carbon tax we have a consumption tax …"

To be fair I do need to again provide the rest of his sentence however; so his statement is in context.  “…that is used to offset income tax reductions so we can say we have the lowest income tax rates in Canada”.

That said, I for one do not believe we have the lowest taxes --- nor does the BC Conservative Party.  

Ed Mayne is 100% correct however when he says the carbon tax IS a ‘consumption tax’.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.