When will the Notley government admit the carbon levy is a big mistake? Right from the get go there has been one misstep after another.
There was criticism about an Ontario company being picked. Then, more criticism about having someone come into your home to screw in light bulbs and over the restrictions on what bulbs will be replaced. All of that criticism warranted.
Roll out another program. Roll out more criticism.
Then, on May 17, Finance Minister Joe Ceci issues a mea culpa. Thousands of families angry that they were forced to pay back the rebate given to loved ones who had passed away. Minister Ceci admitted “the program didn’t work as it should have”.
That’s an understatement.
Why was the rebate based on 2015 tax returns? Albertans weren’t paying the levy in 2015. Why weren’t the rebates based on 2017 tax returns – the year we’re all paying the levy?
I know. I know. The government wanted to start the rebate program even before the first dime was collected because it knew it had to get ahead of the criticism.
Message to the government: it didn’t work.
The carbon levy was sold to us as a policy needed to get pipelines to the east and west. With the B.C. election results up in the air and First Nations groups joining forces to oppose Keystone, the biggest criticism is yet to come.
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