Privy Council research found Canadians do not believe claims by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault that they pay less in carbon tax than they receive in rebate cheques.Participants disputed the math even when fed misleading statistics, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Asked whether they thought the rebate they had received had been more than the additional costs they paid as a result of the implementation of a federal price on carbon, very few believed this to be the case,” wrote researchers. “Participants were next informed the Department of Finance calculated the average household in their respective provinces would be receiving hundreds of dollars more than they paid into the carbon pricing program. Asked whether this changed their perspective on the carbon pricing initiative, none indicated it had with several expressing a desire for greater clarification as to how these estimates were being calculated.”Most Canadians even when given misleading statistics attributed to the Budget Office said they did not believe the federal claim. “Very few reported this information impacted their opinions related to carbon pricing,” said the report.Focus groups were told the Budget Office calculated 80% of Canadian families received more in rebates than they paid in taxes. Privy Council researchers omitted mention of more recent Budget Office data showing the carbon tax carried an “overall negative economic impact” for most families. “Most households will see a net loss,” said a 2022 Budget Office analysis on the federal carbon tax. Parliament in 2019 passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act that taxed fuels on a promise of lower greenhouse gas emissions. The environment department in National Inventory Reports acknowledged emissions have risen since 2020 pandemic lockdowns and travel bans. The carbon tax is currently charged at 12¢ per litre of propane, 15¢ per cubic metre of natural gas, 18¢ per litre of gasoline, 20¢ per litre of aviation fuel and 25¢ per litre of heating oil. Canadians in focus groups said claims they received more in rebates than they paid in carbon taxes, even if true, defeated the purpose of the climate program.“Many questioned the purpose of the federal pollution pricing system if the majority of the funds acquired through this program were eventually redistributed back to Canadians,” said the report. “While believing it was important to work towards reducing emissions, a number expressed the view that carbon pollution pricing would likely have little effect on changing the emitting behaviour of Canadians if they knew they would ultimately be receiving most of these additional costs back.”“Asked whether, based on what they know about the price on carbon pollution and the rebate, they supported or opposed the Government of Canada’s carbon pricing programs, most expressed opposition to this initiative. Several believed the federal government needed to provide far greater clarity to Canadians regarding ways in which this initiative was contributing to reducing emissions and whether it had been successful thus far in achieving its goals.”The newly-disclosed focus group report is dated May 28. Guilbeault as recent as October 10 repeated claims that emissions had declined and that rebates were a net profit for taxpayers. “People get more money back,” he said.
