As promised, to help celebrate Canada Day the Government increased the Carbon Tax.
The Carbon Tax is a flat tax. It applied equally in all regions of Canada. That’s unfair!
The Carbon Tax should be proportional, based on population and pollution.
Saving the Planet
I want to save the planet. No problem! But regions of high pollution should pay higher Carbon Taxes than regions of low pollution. The Carbon Tax should be proportional to the rate of pollution based on population. More people, larger population means more pollution!
Incentive for Change
A higher Proportional Carbon Tax in Canadian Regions of high pollution will create a greater incentive for change – and for finding solutions. (That is the theory behind the tax.)
Current Method
Saskatchewan residents pay a Carbon Tax rate the same as the rest of Canada. That’s unfair.
The tax should be Proportional – the higher the population the higher the pollution. The higher pollution the higher the Carbon Tax.
Saskatchewan has a small population. Fewer people means few vehicles and less industry – so lower pollution.
Regional Population Stats – More People – More Pollution
There are more people living in the greater Edmonton area than in all of Saskatchewan. The same for Calgary. The Alberta population is 4.3 Million, four times (4) that of Saskatchewan.
Edmonton and Calgary; the Lower Mainland of B.C., the Island, Southern Quebec and Southern Ontario are Regions of High Population, therefore, High Pollution. They should pay a proportionally higher Carbon Tax.
Regions with Low Population are: The Yukon; NWT, Inuvik, Saskatchewan; the Northern Regions of B.C., Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and parts of Atlantic Canada. The Low Population Regions mean they pollute the atmosphere less. They should pay a lower Carbon Tax.
Consider These Images
This is Highway 401 in Toronto on a summer day – one of the busiest Highways in the world. It is clogged with vehicles spewing tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere. Their Carbon Tax is the same as Saskatchewan’s.
Saskatchewan
This is Highway 11 in Saskatchewan on a summer day – traffic rolling past Blackstrap spewing out pollution.
Consider Highway 401 at Weston Road in Toronto
This is typical summer traffic on Highway 401 at Weston Road in Toronto. According to Stats Canada, 500,000 vehicles pass this intersection every day.
That’s the equivalent of twice the population of Regina passes the Weston Road intersection each day!
Unfair Tax
A ‘Flat’ Carbon Tax is unfair.
Regions of Canada with high populations produce high pollution. They should pay a higher Carbon Tax – Regions of low population and low pollution should pay much less.
Lower the Carbon Tax in Regions of low population.
A Proportional Carbon Tax will create incentive for change in high pollution Regions.
Make the Carbon Tax a Proportional Tax!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
