As the federal carbon tax rises—costing Albertans more than others, according to a recent government report—Alberta’s finance minister says the government should “eliminate the tax all together.”
With high inflation, the extra cost of fuel will exacerbate affordability problems, Toews said. It will make the cost of electricity, heating, and groceries more expensive, he said. “Elimination of the carbon tax and pausing federal fuel taxes, would help millions of Canadians cope with rising costs.”
While the federal government also offers rebates, called Climate Action Incentive payments, most Canadians will face a net loss.
Giroux’s office released a report on March 30 looking at the planned rise in carbon pricing from $65 per tonne this year to $170 per tonne by 2030. The net cost of the carbon tax will hit Alberta’s average households harder than those in other provinces.
The average Albertan household will pay $2,773 by 2030, according to the report. Ontario households will pay $1,820. The lowest cost will be to households in Newfoundland and Labrador, at $1,316.
The rebates are meant to give relief to Canadians with the lowest income and have the tax paid most heavily by the wealthiest, the government has said.
The rebates are meant to help the people most in need in Canada, he said, and “that’s exactly what the system is doing.”