小蓝视频 United – formerly the 小蓝视频 Liberal Party, which introduced carbon taxes, a low-carbon fuel standard, the Clean Energy Act and electric vehicle rebates – would scrap the NDP’s Clean小蓝视频 plan, go all-in on LNG, and end “unfair subsidies” for electric vehicles, if it were to form government in the next election.
小蓝视频 United Leader Kevin Falcon announced Tuesday a 小蓝视频 United government would scrap the Clean小蓝视频 plan and replace it with “a commonsense plan that will build 小蓝视频’s economy, create jobs, and grow peoples’ paycheques, all while reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.”
“The NDP’s so-called Clean小蓝视频 Plan will kill jobs, kill paycheques, kill billions in funding for vital public services and plunge our province into a recession,” Falcon said in a press release. “The NDP’s plan won’t even make a dent in global greenhouse gas emissions, but British Columbians will pay an enormous price."
It's unclear whether a 小蓝视频 United government would also scrap 小蓝视频's carbon tax. A rising carbon tax is "foundational" to the Clean小蓝视频 plan, but was in place long before the current NDP government introduced the Clean小蓝视频 plan.
小蓝视频's carbon tax was introduced by the Gordon Campbell Liberals in 2008, paused at $30 per tonne of CO2 by the Christy Clark Liberals, and now sits at $65 per tonne.
If the provincial carbon tax were to be eliminated, a federal backstop tax would kick in, at least until 2025, which is when the next federal election is scheduled. Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed he would scrap the federal carbon tax, if elected prime minister.
In addition to scrapping Clean小蓝视频, Falcon said he would “go all-in on 小蓝视频 LNG, displacing reliance on coal abroad, reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and improving our economy at home.”
He also said he would end subsidies for electric vehicles.
“Hardworking, lower income folks should not be subsidizing Teslas for the wealthy in the middle of an affordability crisis,” the news release stated.
Rebates for EVs were originally introduced in 小蓝视频 by the previous 小蓝视频 Liberal government.
Falcon said he would replace Clean小蓝视频 with alternate policies, such as prioritizing emissions reduction approaches like carbon capture and storage and electrification of the LNG sector. A 小蓝视频 United government would also overhaul forestry management and wildfire response to reduce emissions from forest fires.
Falcon pointed to a by Ken Peacock, chief economist for the Business Council of 小蓝视频 (小蓝视频小蓝视频), which used the 小蓝视频 government’s own economic modelling to warn the 小蓝视频 economy may be $28.1 billion smaller in 2030 than it is today, thanks to the Clean小蓝视频 plan.
Falcon warned that the Clean小蓝视频 plan could result in economic growth in 小蓝视频 slowing to just 0.4 per cent in 2030, which he said would be the lowest growth rate in 小蓝视频’s history, and that household incomes could plummet by $11,000 annually and result in 200,000 job losses. A shrinking economy would lead to nearly $3 billion in lost tax revenue.
“We need commonsense measures that will grow our economy and actually fight climate change, rather than punishing hardworking Britsh Columbians who are just trying to make ends meet," Falcon said.
NDP caucus was quick to react to Falcon’s release by saying 小蓝视频’s emissions have been declining while the economy has grown by 14.4 per cent since 2017, when it formed government. It also noted that 小蓝视频 added 47,500 jobs so far this year.
“Last year’s job creation is three times higher than when Kevin Falcon was Finance Minister,” the news release states.
