Trudeau Liberals rebrand the carbon tax amid dwindling support

The Canadian Press / Sean Kilpatrick

The Trudeau Liberals are rebranding the unpopular carbon tax in a bid to save face among their dwindling support base.

One Trudeau cabinet minister stated that renaming the 'Climate Action Incentive Payment' as the 'Canada Carbon Rebate' aims to simplify the benefits of the progressive tax.

“If we can speak the language that people speak because people say the words carbon, they say the words rebate,” said Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan. “And if we can speak that language, it’s important that people understand what’s going on here.”

“A lot of folks out there don’t know what they’re getting when they actually get the rebate,” added Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. About half of Canadians who receive carbon rebates are aware they receive it, according to Abacus Data. 

O’Regan took aim at the Poilievre Conservatives Wednesday over their pledge to “axe the tax” — calling it an empty slogan. It ignores that most taxpayers receive back more than they pay, he claimed.

Trudeau Liberals owe small businesses $2.5 billion in carbon rebates: report

Small businesses pay nearly half of the federal carbon tax revenue but receive only 0.17% of all carbon rebates between 2019 and 2023.https://t.co/qJljXKmskR

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 9, 2024

The Trudeau Liberals claim that 8 out of 10 households receive more money back from rebates than they pay in tax. However, many Canadians do not appear convinced as more Canadians believe the carbon tax is bad policy (44%) than good (36%), according to the same Abacus poll.

The carbon tax will increase by $15 every April 1 until it reaches $170 per tonne in 2030. Rebates for lower income Canadians will rise accordingly.

But after the hike, the carbon tax will cost 17 cents per litre of gasoline, 21 cents per litre of diesel and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas. 

“We need people to understand that … [Canadians] are relying on that rebate. That is money they are budgeting on their household budget per month. So can we have a conversation about that?” claimed O’Regan.

However, the carbon tax will cost the average family up to $710 this year even after the rebates, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. 

Gudie Hutchings, the Liberal minister for Rural Economic Development, doesn't regret telling Western Canadians to elect more Liberals if they want carbon tax relief.

Hutchings says the Liberals represent Canadians from "coast to coast to coast."https://t.co/vD78U4ZuZQ pic.twitter.com/EQboXgMcI6

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 13, 2024

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) criticized the feds for rebranding its carbon tax rebate instead of providing relief by scrapping the tax altogether.

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax rebrand is just lipstick on a pig,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Canadians need tax relief, not a snappy new slogan that won’t do anything to make life more affordable.”

In question period, Official Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre called out the federal government for trying to distract Canadians.

“The prime minister should learn that we can’t improve life by slogans alone,” he said. “How much did he spend on consultants to come up with the new name?”

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault jabbed back at Poilievre for only focusing on the carbon tax. He said doing so ignores the rising insurance rates and disaster costs Canadians pay due to ‘climate change.’

“The cost of natural catastrophes in this country has increased by a factor of 10 over the last decade,” said Guilbeault. “Sector by sector, our plan is working.”

The environment minister accused Poilievre of lobbying on the part of industry in his bid to scrap the carbon tax. “What he’s really trying to do is protect his friends in big oil companies … who have contributed to climate change more than any other economic sector in our country.”