The PBO report clearly shows that Trudeau's carbon tax is costing you more

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Justin Trudeau's carbon tax will cost Canadians more, reduce your income and shrink our economy.

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These are the conclusions of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), an independent official of Parliament, after analyzing the fiscal and overall economic impact of a carbon tax.

The PBO found that by 2030, the lowest 40% of people on incomes would see a net benefit from carbon taxes and government rebate programs – but everyone else would pay more.

In Ontario, it's estimated you pay an extra $588 a year to $3,467. For Alberta, the range was $130 to $3,122. In Manitoba it ranges from $218 to $3,295.

Since the Trudeau government announced its carbon tax plan, it says eight in 10 families will get back more in rebates than they pay in tax. Although the PBO believes this is broadly accurate, when direct tax paid is compared to rebates, the overall economic impact is negative.

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This is the second PBO report to state this issue.

The office previously released a report in March 2023 showing a similar problem, with most paying more. Earlier this year, the PBO said there was an error in the report and it intended to correct it.

Trudeau's Liberals never really acknowledged the report that found most earned more than they received in rebates. They simply kept repeating that eight in ten received more in rebates than they paid in a “carbon price”, without even acknowledging that it was a tax.

“When the economic impact of the federal fuel surcharge is combined with its fiscal impact, net costs will increase for the average household across all income quintiles, reflecting the overall negative economic impact of the fuel surcharge,” the revised PBO report states.

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“In 2030-31, taking into account both fiscal and economic impacts, we estimate that the average household in each of the backstop provinces will incur a net cost of paying a higher federal fuel levy and GST, as well as receiving lower incomes ( due to the fuel surcharge) compared to the Canadian carbon rebate they receive.

Not to sound like Chandler from Friends, but, “Could they be brighter?”

Trudeau's environment minister, Steven Guilbeault, has repeatedly tried to sidestep the report's clear findings. Both in statements to social media and during a brief interaction with the media, Guilbeault said it was clear that most people were better off because of the carbon tax.

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This is certainly not true in the report.

“It's time to clear the air about Pierre Poilievre's big lie to Canadians,” Guilbeault told reporters before Thursday's question period.

“He misled Canadians, the PBO made it very clear. More Canadians receive money back under the Canada Carbon Rebate than what they pay.”

This is not what the PBO claims and once again the liberals are lying to the public, with the media not telling the full truth aiding and abetting them. This tax clearly costs the average family more than they get back in rebates.

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Even the way rebates are calculated should make people concerned.

Whether it's the cost of heating your home or filling your gas tank, everything is calculated based on StatsCan averages. This means the rebate is calculated based on a Canadian's average mileage of 15,000 km per year or less.

As a city dweller, I drive less than that, but any suburban family raising kids drives significantly more and doesn't get a bigger discount.

“That's why we need a carbon tax election where Canadians can choose between a 61-cent-per-liter carbon tax or eliminating the carbon tax altogether,” Poilievre said Thursday.

The PBO report shows that liberals are lying, they want to claim that it shows that Poilievre is distorting the truth. In this case, as with many others, Trudeau and his gang cannot be trusted.

bliley@postmedia.com

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