New records show the cabinet has expended nearly $200 million on carbon tax paperwork since the introduction of the fuel charge by Parliament in 2019.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, hundreds of federal employees are involved in administering the tax, which Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has described as the “most efficient” method for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.As disclosed in an Inquiry Of Ministry presented in the Commons, the cabinet reported spending $82,628,993 the previous year on collecting carbon taxes and sending rebate checks. They had a total of 474 employees dedicated to handling carbon tax related paperwork.Figures were disclosed at the request of Conservative MP Chris Warkentin (Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, AB), who asked “What were the annual costs to administer collection of the carbon tax and rebate program?” Total federal administration costs since Parliament passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act in 2019 were $199.2 million. Other paperwork costs by carbon tax collectors, such as utilities, were not calculated.Guilbeault has repeatedly described the carbon tax program as inexpensive and efficient. “Carbon pricing is central to our climate plan because it is the most efficient and lowest cost policy to reduce greenhouse gas pollution,” he told the Commons last February 7. “The cost of doing nothing is staggering.”Other cabinet members have also defended administration costs.“Everyone except apparently the Conservatives understands building in price signals on things we do not want like pollution is one of the most efficient ways of reducing emissions,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Commons on June 21.In 2022 remarks to the House, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said 99% of economists agreed carbon taxes were efficient. He did not cite paperwork costs. “With respect to the price on pollution, if we asked 100 economists, 99 will tell us it is the most efficient way to reduce emissions,” said Wilkinson.From the start of the carbon tax program, the Canada Revenue Agency had only a small number of employees assigned to handle rebates.The payroll expanded significantly when the cabinet issued standalone checks for rebates instead of allowing tax filers to claim them as credits on their annual returns. It grew sevenfold in this process.Between 2022 and 2023, the number of federal employees dedicated to processing rebates increased from 33 to 242.The cost of operating the rebate program during the same period has gone up from $4.3 million to $48.6 million annually.
