This is getting out of hand, I doubt these protestors even know how much the tax is and yet we’re seeing threats and violence come out of it.
It’s one of the smallest taxes we pay in Canada. A few hundred dollars a year, with a rebate for most people that covers most if not all the amount they pay.
The transit tax per liter is still more than this in Vancouver, and has no rebate at all.
Most of these protesters, if pressed would struggle to provide a well thought out justification for their anger. Lots of it is rooted in conspiracy.
For many, it would come down to a lack of belief in need for a carbon price because they dont believe it is a real problem. Those that do say they believe in that would claim that now is not the time to be raising taxes on fuel when Real Hardworking Canadians are struggling. The issue is there will never be a Right Time in their eyes as deep down they dont really believe there is a crisis to address. For those that do accept that there is an issue, I doubt that they could provide a alternative strategy to address carbon emissions that would not have all the same issues they are protesting.
No one seems to realize that if it weren’t the carbon tax they would just tax somewhere else, and probably have no rebate at all. The carbon pollution causes external costs and damages that we pay for in other areas like healthcare or environmental restorations.
