08/03/27

BC Chamber of Commerce

Carbon Tax “alive and well” throughout BC….NOT!

Fort Nelson Opposes Carbon Tax

Trail Daily Times
Wed 26 Mar 2008
Page: 4
Section: Provincial
Column: B.C. Briefs
Dateline: FORT ST. JOHN
Source: The Canadian Press

FORT ST. JOHN -- Fort Nelson has joined Fort St. John and several other B.C. communities in opposing the carbon tax introduced in this year's provincial budget.

Fort Nelson town council has passed a motion against the tax and will be taking a resolution to the North Central Municipal Association's annual general meeting in May to gather broader support.

Fort Nelson Mayor Chris Morey is hoping the province will recognize the unique circumstances in the north, including higher home heating costs and longer driving distances for people who work in the bush.

Morey says his community wants to do its part for the environment but in a different way.

Besides Fort St. John, Williams Lake and Quesnel are also against the tax that will be applied to most fossil fuels including gasoline, diesel, coal, propane, natural gas and home heating fuel.

It will start July 1 at $10 per tonne of carbon or about 2.4 cents on a litre of gasoline and 2.8 cents on a litre of home heating fuel.

© 2008 Trail Daily Times

Rural Communities Fighting Carbon Tax

The Vancouver Province
Wed 26 Mar 2008
Page: A24
Section: News
Byline: Ian Austin
Dateline: FORT ST. JOHN
Source: The Province

B.C.'s rural mayors are banding together to fight the provincial carbon tax set to come into effect July 1.

The mayors say their communities will bear the brunt of the tax because their remote locations mean they must drive more, they have no transit alternatives and their colder climate requires more heating fuel.

Fort Nelson has jumped on board with Fort St. John, Williams Lake and Quesnel to publicly question the wisdom of the surtax on fossil fuels.

"We want to do our part -- there's no question about it -- but our communities don't believe taxing is the solution," said Fort Nelson Mayor Chris Morey yesterday. "We have long, cold winters. Our people watch their thermostats closely, but you can only turn down the heat so much."

Morey and Fort Nelson council have written B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor to question the tax, and will lobby other mayors at the annual general meeting of the North Central Municipal Association in May.

Williams Lake Mayor Scott Nelson won't need convincing.

"Who doesn't believe that we should have a cleaner, greener world, but we shouldn't do it on the backs of rural British Columbians?" said Nelson.

"We don't have a multimillion-dollar transit system. We drive from community to community -- we've got old-style transit: the automobile."

Nelson believes all rural mayors will come on board when they realize their communities are bearing the brunt of the tax load. "I don't think there's a community in the north that doesn't say, 'We support it, just make it fair.'"

The B.C. government is mailing a $100 cheque to all British Columbians to partially offset the newly introduced tax.

Nelson believes those living in smaller, colder communities who must use more heating oil deserve a bigger piece of the pie.

"If the government is sending $100 to everybody in B.C., it may have to be $500 for people in the north," said Nelson.

In its letter to Taylor, Fort Nelson council outlines its case: "Our reality is harsh, cold and long winters, where temperatures often dip into the -30 to -50 degree range for extended periods of time," reads the letter. "We have non-discretionary higher consumption rates for natural gas to heat our homes, operate essential services and businesses and to keep our oil-and-gas industry alive to generate revenues for the rest of the province.

"We urge the Canadian and provincial governments to consider the provision of an exemption from the carbon-tax levy for those Canadians living in the north."

The tax, intended to decrease greenhouse-gas emissions, will apply to gasoline, diesel, coal, propane, natural gas and home-heating fuel.

iaustin@png.canwest.com