Liberals rebrand carbon-tax rebates, amount to rise as much as 17% in April
Per-tonne price of carbon will also increase at same time
OTTAWA — The Liberals unveiled a rebrand of the federal carbon tax rebate Wednesday as they announced the new amounts households are expected to get after the price itself goes up in April.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Liberals rebrand carbon-tax rebates, amount to rise as much as 17% in April Back to video
A gaggle of ministers promoted the rebates as affordability measures on Parliament Hill, noting data that show 80 per cent of families will get more from the rebates than they pay in carbon taxing.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Sign In or Create an Account
In a tacit acknowledgement that Canadians don’t seem to be aware the rebates even exist, ministers said they will now go by a new name.
They will now be called the “Canada Carbon Rebate” rather than the “Climate Action Incentive,” ministers said.
Canadian families will get between $760 and $2,160 in carbon tax rebates this year depending on where they live. Rebates are set by province based on total fossil fuel use in each jurisdiction.
Rural residents get 20 per cent more in acknowledgement of the longer distances they must drive. The rural top-up used to be 10 per cent.
The increased rebates coincide with the price of carbon itself being hiked, as scheduled, another $15 per tonne.
The price increase will add another 3.3 cents to a litre of gasoline and about 2.9 cents to a cubic metre of natural gas.
Most families will see a bigger rebate as a result — $64 more every three months in Alberta, and $36 more in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
But the move to lift carbon pricing from heating oil for three years, along with overpayments last year, mean people in all Atlantic provinces except New Brunswick will see a dip in the amount they receive.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has heavily focused on his “axe the tax” campaign in recent months, capitalizing on what many saw as a misstep by the Liberals to create the heating oil carve-out.
He promises to remove the carbon tax if he forms the next government.
Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings chided Poilievre on Wednesday for choosing “catchy slogans” over climate-change solutions.
Poilievre says carbon taxation makes life less affordable, while the Liberals insist their rebate program means that is not true.
