The Canadian Taxpayers Association doesn’t agree with the Conservative Party of Canada’s plan to deal with carbon pollution.
CPC leader Erin O’Toole is pitching a loyalty-card style carbon pricing where consumers would see what they pay on fuel stored into an account that can be used for green purchases later.
The so-called “personal low carbon savings account” is a signature policy of the party’s plan to tackle climate change, which was unveiled Thursday.
“It’s outrageous that O’Toole is now planning to hammer Canadians with higher fuel bills through his very own carbon tax,” said Franco Terrazzano, the CTF’s Alberta director.
“When he was running for leader, O’Toole pledged to taxpayers that he would fight carbon taxes. If he goes through with this scheme, he will be breaking his promise to Canadians.”
The Conservatives say their consumer price would start at $20 per tonne, and rise to no higher than $50 per tonne.
The Liberal plan — applicable only in provinces that do not have their own approved carbon pricing scheme — sets the price at $40 per tonne, rising each year until it reaches $170 per tonne by 2030.
“The CPC needs to stick up for struggling taxpayers and fight the carbon tax, not backtrack on promises and try to paper over a carbon tax with some kind of O’Toole points scheme,” said Terrazzano.
“The carbon tax means real pain for many Canadians and redeeming O’Toole points for solar-powered e-bikes isn’t a real solution.”
With files from The Canadian Press.