Hon. Wab Kinew, MPP, Premier of Manitoba
April 25, 2024
Hon. Wab Kinew, MPP, Premier of Manitoba
Dear Mr. Kinew:
We at Just Earth were disappointed to hear you step away from the federal carbon pricing system. JustEarth is an environmental NGO, based in Toronto, a member of the Climate Action Network Canada, CANRac. We are politically non-partisan.
You paused the fuel tax at the beginning of the year, supposedly “saving drivers about 14 cents per litre at the pumps.” However, that statement ignores the rebate and sends the message, “drive any vehicle as much as you want.” We direct your attention to the graphic below which shows that drivers who use more gas will receive the rebate but it won’t cover their total costs. Carbon pricing allows free choice but incentivizes the best, low-carbon choice. It is the responsibility of politicians to explain clearly how it works to their constituents.
You have also requested that the carbon tax be removed from gas heating. This move would worsen affordability for low income Canadians across all regions according to a study by the Canadian Climate Institute because of a decrease in the value of rebates that are currently transferred to households. Yet it would have a huge impact on emissions— “on the order of 4.5 megatonnes in 2030 relative to our current trajectory where the carbon tax is in place.”
We ask, what will you do, if the Conservatives are elected federally, and Mr. Polievre does as he has frequently stated he will do: “axe the tax”?
The fact is carbon pricing is one of many measures necessary to live up to our obligations under the Paris Accord, but, as pointed out by over 300 economists of Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, it is one of the most efficient and cost effective. They have calculated that, if governments wish to meet their climate goals at the lowest cost, “they should rely on increasingly stringent carbon pricing.” They also praise the fact that the system provides revenue to citizens.
Opponents to carbon pricing are supporting alternatives based on technologies that are unproven and much more expensive—SMRs, Carbon Capture and Storage, and nuclear–and do not have the benefit of providing revenue to Canadians. Just Earth supports true renewables—solar, geothermal, and green hydrogen, among others.
We request your reply to info@justearth.net.
Yours truly,
(On behalf of Just Earth)