Albertans will receive more money in carbon price rebates this year than people in other provinces, according to the federal government.
Wednesday, Ottawa Announced what a family of four would receive through the Canada Carbon Rebate, formerly called the “Climate Action Incentive Payment.” The official renaming of the rebate is part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s efforts to defend his signature climate policy from attacks from Conservatives, who falsely claim that pollution pricing takes more money out of people’s pockets than they should. bring back.
With $1,800 spread out in quarterly payments, a family of four in Alberta would receive more than twice as much as a family of four in the Maritime provinces, which range from $760 in New Brunswick to $880 in Prince Edward Island.
Notably, the two provinces that will receive the highest rebates are also leading the charge against the price the federal government places on pollution. If the policy is eliminated as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe want, residents of their provinces would also see their relatively large rebate payments eliminated. Those premiers did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
The drop in rebate payments across Atlantic Canada this year compared to last is due to Ottawa’s decision to suspend carbon pricing on home heating oil, predominantly used on the East Coast. The exemption was announced in October and Trudeau framed it as a response to ongoing affordability issues that are widely seen as one of the reasons the federal Liberals are falling in the polls.
“Putting a price on pollution is the most cost-effective way to reduce the pollution that causes climate change while putting more money in the pockets of Canadians. “It is a cornerstone of our climate plan and represents approximately one-third of all our emissions reductions by 2030,” Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said in a statement. “Without Canada’s revenue-neutral carbon pricing system, the cost to Canadians and the Canadian economy of achieving our emissions reduction targets by other means would be much greater.”
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On Wednesday, the federal government also confirmed its plans to increase the supplemental payments rural Canadians receive from 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the rebate in recognition of their increased energy needs and the limited alternatives they offer. During a news conference, Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings said that translates to an extra $360 for a family of four in Alberta or an extra $240 in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As previously reported by Canadian National ObserverThe Trudeau government is planning an information campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of carbon pricing, as well as renaming the rebates in a bid to make the public better understand that most households receive more money in return. .
Albertans will receive more money in carbon price rebates this year than people in other provinces, according to the federal government. #cdnpoli #CarbonPrice
Last year, polls found that almost half of Canadians want to abolish the carbon tax.
According to Angus Reid, 42 percent of Canadians want the carbon price eliminated, 25 percent believe the price should remain at current levels rather than increase each year, and 17 percent believe the price carbon should be reduced over the next three years. Only 15 percent of respondents believe the carbon price should continue as is.
The public’s understanding of carbon pricing is the primary determinant of support. Eighty percent of households get more money through rebates than they pay with the carbon price. Of those who say they receive more than they pay, support for the carbon price reaches 79 percent. Among those who believe they spend more than they receive, the results are reversed: 82 percent oppose the tax.
“He investigation What I have done with colleagues discovers that almost everyone underestimated how much money they’re getting back, the Conservatives much more than the Liberals, and people don’t really understand how much they’re paying,” Kathryn Harrison, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, previously said. Canadian National Observer.