Clean Energy Canada | Media Release: Major B.C. Parties Weigh in on Climate Leadership
April 11, 2013

Clean Energy Canada today released a B.C. Climate Leadership Position Summary indicating where the major political parties planning to run candidates in the British Columbia May 14 provincial election stand on the carbon tax.

“It is exciting that we’re starting to see a recommitment to climate leadership,“ said Merran Smith, director of Clean Energy Canada at Tides Canada.

“The carbon tax is working,” said Smith. “The evidence shows it is reducing pollution, and now it’s time to take the next step. For us—and for thousands of British Columbians—that means making all industries pay their fair share, including the booming natural gas sector. It also means not freezing the tax but increasing it over time and using the new revenue to fund badly needed climate solutions such as transit,” added Smith.

Last month, in its 2013/14 budget, the Government of British Columbia announced that the carbon tax would neither be increased nor expanded, and that the current rate of $30 per tonne of carbon pollution would remain frozen for one year.

“Inaction today will hit British Columbia families in the pocketbook tomorrow,” said Smith. “Studies have shown that without dramatic reductions in carbon pollution, climate disruption will wipe out up to one quarter of our province’s hard-earned wealth.”

Though major party platforms are not yet released, as of today all four major parties—the B.C. Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, and the B.C. Green Party—have now indicated what they would do with the carbon tax.

Clean Energy Canada is a member of Better Future British Columbia, which has developed a three-part plan to reform the carbon tax.