Business
Carney must tell Canadians how much “changing” the carbon tax will cost
Taxpayers are demanding to know how much Liberal Party leadership candidate Mark Carney’s carbon tax will cost after he admitted he would “change” the policy rather than scrapping the tax.
“After Carney led Canadians to believe he was getting rid of the carbon tax, now he says he’s going to ‘change’ it, so how much will his relabeled carbon tax cost?” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “We know the cost of Carney’s carbon tax won’t be zero, so how much extra will people have to pay when they fill up at the gas station or pay their heating bills?”
Carney clarified his plans for the carbon tax in Kelowna, British Columbia, on Wednesday.
“The issue wasn’t, to coin a phrase, whether to ‘axe the tax,’ the issue was how to change it,” Carney said. “So in changing the carbon tax … We are making the large companies pay for everybody.”
Currently, the federal carbon tax costs about 17 cents per litre of gasoline, 21 cents per litre of diesel and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas. The carbon tax is set to increase on April 1.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer has repeatedly reported the carbon tax costs the average family hundreds of dollars more than the rebates they get back.
“Taxpayers have a simple question for Carney: What will happen to gas prices and home heating bills under his plan?” Terrazzano said. “Whether the carbon tax is up front or hidden, Canadians can’t afford to pay more to fuel up their cars, heat their homes and buy groceries.”
Carney is proposing to eliminate the visibility of the carbon tax on things like home heating bills, but to still hit businesses with the carbon tax.
Carney’s plan would cancel the carbon tax rebates and instead “create a system of incentives to reward Canadians” for making environmentally approved purchases.
“Carbon taxes on refineries make gas more expensive, carbon taxes on utilities make home heating more expensive and carbon taxes on fertilizer plants increase costs for farmers and that makes groceries more expensive,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director. “Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to scrap the carbon tax and that will cut the price of gas by 17 cents per litre. Now Carney needs to be honest about how much his changed carbon tax will cost.”
MxM News
Quick Hit:
Elon Musk made a dramatic appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, wielding a chromed-out chainsaw gifted by Argentina’s President Javier Milei. The prop symbolized Musk’s commitment to slashing bureaucratic red tape through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Key Details:
- Musk received the chainsaw from Milei before his sit-down interview at CPAC in Maryland.
- The chainsaw was engraved with Milei’s catchphrase, “Viva la libertad carajo!” which translates to “Long live freedom, Goddammit!”
- Musk brandished the chainsaw on stage, declaring it the “chainsaw for bureaucracy” to a cheering conservative crowd.
Diving Deeper:
Argentina’s President Javier Milei presented the symbolic chainsaw to Elon Musk ahead of his interview at CPAC, reinforcing their shared vision of reducing governmental influence. The chainsaw, emblazoned with Milei’s signature slogan, was meant to represent Musk’s mission with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut waste, fraud, and abuse within federal agencies.
Musk enthusiastically accepted the gift and held it aloft, declaring it the “chainsaw for bureaucracy.” The bold gesture was well-received by the conservative audience, with Musk adding a simple yet effective rallying cry: “Chainsaw!” The theatrics were in line with his commitment to DOGE’s mission of downsizing federal bureaucracy, drawing inspiration from Milei’s aggressive government-cutting measures in Argentina.
Milei’s fiscal conservatism has gained international attention, influencing Musk’s approach to DOGE. The Argentine president’s radical budget cuts and advocacy for limited government resonate with Musk’s goals for the United States. By symbolically passing the chainsaw to Musk, Milei reinforced a partnership rooted in economic freedom and governmental reform.
Musk later posted a photo of himself with the chainsaw on his social media platform, X, captioning it, “This is a real picture,” underscoring his commitment to his bureaucratic overhaul agenda. The image quickly went viral, amplifying the message of aggressive government reform.
The bold display at CPAC not only solidified Musk’s role as a disruptor within the political landscape but also strengthened the ideological bond between Musk and Milei, signaling an international alliance against government inefficiency.
Business
Federal Heritage Minister recommends nearly doubling CBC funding and reducing accountability
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for the CBC to be completely defunded in the wake of the federal Liberal government’s recommendation to nearly double the state broadcaster’s cost to taxpayers and hide its budget reporting.
“It is outrageous for the government to try to hide the cost of the CBC from the taxpayers who are paying its bills,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “This government is totally out touch if it thinks it can nearly double CBC’s cost to taxpayers and try to hide its costs.”
Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said the government should nearly double the amount of money the CBC takes from taxpayers every year.
The CBC will cost taxpayers about $1.4 billion this year.
“The average funding for public broadcasters in G7 countries is $62 per person, per year,” St-Onge said. “We need to aim closer to the middle ground, which is $62 per year per person.”
Canada’s population is about 41.5 million people. If the government funded the CBC the way the minister is recommending, the CBC would cost taxpayers about $2.5 billion per year.
That amount would cover the annual grocery bill of about 152,854 Canadian families.
St-Onge also recommended the annual taxpayer funding for the CBC be removed from the government budget report and instead be entrenched in government statutory appropriations.
“I propose that it be financed directly in the legislation instead of in the budget through statutory appropriation,” St-Onge said.
“Canadians have told this government that the CBC costs them too much money, that it is not accountable to taxpayers and they don’t watch it, and now the government wants to double down on all those problems,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director. “The CBC is an enormous waste of money and journalists should not be paid by the government.
“The CBC must be defunded.”
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