When it came to discussing climate change in Sunday’s B.C. leaders’ debate, perhaps the most surprising thing was the number of times New Democratic Party leader Carole James didn’t mention the carbon tax.
She had plenty of opportunities to raise it in the early going, as the leaders discussed the economy and the problems of rural B.C. In the past, James has touted her “axe the tax” campaign as an economic stimulus and a way to correct hardships imposed on rural areas.
She resisted the temptation Sunday night, however – perhaps an indication that the tax hasn’t been gaining the kind of traction that the party had hoped for.
When the topic turned specifically to climate change, James bashed Liberal Gordon Campbell over the carbon tax, which the NDP insists is unfair and ineffective.
“If you look at the carbon tax, the government’s own figures show it simply reduces emissions by just over 2 per cent by the year 2020,” James said.
It’s unclear which figures James is quoting here – and it wouldn’t be the first time that the NDP has had trouble making climate change numbers add up.
However, the government’s Climate Action Plan, released last summer, states that the carbon tax will cut “up to” three million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.
B.C. produced about 62 million tonnes of ghgs in 2006, the last year there are figures available, so three million tonnes would work out to just under five per cent. Again, though, it's difficult to say exactly what James was getting at here.
James also repeated suggestions that the Liberals’ climate plan lets big polluters off the hook.
“He’s not bringing forward a plan that gets at the big polluters and we will,” she said of Campbell.
That statement is open to interpretation, but the fact is, the carbon tax applies to polluters of all sizes – virtually everyone who burns fossil fuels pays it according to how dirty the fuel is.
Where the debate arises is over a category of emissions known as process emissions, from industrial processes such as aluminum smelting and cement manufacture. The Liberals say they plan to tax such processes in the future or include them under a cap and trade system that is still being worked out.
The NDP would scrap the carbon tax and put a hard cap on industrial emissions, while working toward a cap and trade system.
While touting the revenue neutral quality of the carbon tax, Campbell emphasized the personal and corporate tax cuts that will offset the carbon tax.
“We’re actually going to reduce personal income taxes, small business taxes by 44 per cent last year,” Campbell said. “We’ll have the lowest corporate taxes.”
The government is reducing the small business corporate income tax rate to 2.5 per cent from 4.5 per cent, a 44 per cent reduction.
But the government states that this will be “the second lowest” small business rate in Canada.
And as for having the “lowest corporate taxes,” the government’s own publicity settles for B.C. having “some of the lowest in Canada.”
Both Green party leader Jane Sterk and James pointed out that Campbell’s government is pushing oil and gas exploration at the same time it tries to lower carbon emissions – a policy that many environmentalists say won’t work.
Tom Barrett reports for The Tyee.
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Wilfred Laurier
3 years ago
A Change?
"It’s unclear which figures James is quoting here – and it wouldn’t be the first time that the NDP has had trouble making climate change numbers add up"
This is utter sacrilege coming form the Tyee and very refreshing to see. I wonder how the Faithful are going to take this?
This is an interesting article in that it actually is critical of something Carole James says. I find this perplexing and perhaps the whompping Carole is going to get at the polls is leading the Tyee to not be a 100% NDP rahrah sige? Could a smidgen of unbiased reporting be creeping back to the Tyee. Not that there ever was much, but at least there was a smidgen.
What about those donations? Won't the contributers be miffed at anything that doesn't say, "Gordon Campbell is Lucifer?"
frenchy mcswede
3 years ago
So why don't you just only
read the mainstream press instead, sir snotty, where they crawl up the premier's backside with the predictable regularity of tidal flows. You've made even less of a contribution to the tyee than luke flyswatter with your constant inane droolings on the webpage. Hitherto, I've ignored your posts as simply so far beneath contempt that you would need the hubble telescope to look UP to see the gutter, however I do believe your last inane, unsubstantiated whine has finally brought your mewlings to my concern...funny how the polls do not seem to agree with your pathetic assertions...
midnightsimon
3 years ago
Neither of these parties has
Neither of these parties has a clue when it comes to climate change.
Gordo gives us the carbon tax, but at too low to have any effect, while simultaneously promoting oil and gas exploration and massive highway expansion.
James gives us cynnical self serving populism with her Axe the Tax campaign. Instead she offers us Cap and Trade but not for THREE YEARS (READ: NO ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE UNTIL 2012).
We need a carbon tax with teeth (to adjust consumer behavior) AND cap and trade system (to adjust industrial behavior) if we want to attain any of these fanciful reduction goals that everyone is so keen on throwing around. Scientists, economists, and environmentalists agree on this.
The only party that advocates BOTH of these stands little chance of even electing a single MLA despite the support of hundreds of thousands of voters.
Things are broken in BC, and we actually have the chance to fix them this year.
Whomever you end up voting for, vote YES to BC-STV!
seth
3 years ago
Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
None of the parties have a clue about climate change or what to do about it. These silly carbon tax/cap n trade ideas are absolutely useless in resolving any global warming issues.
This problem requires a world wide world war type effort building a least one Gen 3.5 nuclear, then gen 4, then fusion plants a week well into the foreseeable future. Until leadership appears to send us in that direction all this nonsense is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Frank
3 years ago
Wilf
"This is utter sacrilege coming form the Tyee and very refreshing to see. I wonder how the Faithful are going to take this?"
Umm, if you pay attention you will find that Tom Barrett has been attacking the NDP in almost every column because he thinks the carbon tax is the greatest policy to ever spring from the mind of a human being.
I assume from your name-calling you're wondering how NDPers take it? Same as we do when the premier's brother writes a column, we consider the source.
gamedev
3 years ago
carbon tax and cap and trade and all the other
catch-phrases that are being thrown around seem more designed to make it LOOK like something is being done, when NOTHING substantial is being done at all. Focusing on these "media darling" environmental issues is detracting from the real debate that should be taking place. Why are the Liberals selling off our rivers? Why are the Liberals NOT doing anything to proctect the wild fish stocks by regulating the fish farming industry? Why are Gordon Campbell and the Liberals going to allow huge oil tankers on our coast, which will eventually have a spill and destroy the Queen Charlotte islands? Why has Gordon Campbell rolled back law to proctect animals and parks? Why is he cutting the budget for parks and spending the money on a new practice field for the Whitecaps?
These are REAL issues, not playing with statistics for things "intended" by some date in the far distant future, when those saying the carbon tax (for instance) will save the enviroment are no longer in public life or accountable. But by then, it will be too late. If we don't get rid of Campbell it will be too late by May 13th...