Evan Saugstad: Carbon Shenanigans

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Did you know that the BC’s NDP carbon tax on natural gas used to heat your home is 137% more than the actual cost of natural gas used?  Tax is $3.9859 per gigajoule and the gas is $2.891.  

The provider here in Fort St John is Pacific Northen Gas (PNG).  Our home is on a equal monthly installment plan of $175/month which is balanced at the end of each year.  We use about 13 gigajoules/month on average, and with the current price of $2.891, pay about $37.70 for the gas and $51.82 for the carbon tax.  The remainder of the bill are delivery charges, franchise fees and other taxes (GST is paid on the carbon tax).  Hidden in the delivery charges and commodity price are the carbon taxes the pipeline and natural gas companies also pay.

Currently the BC carbon tax is $80 per tonne and is scheduled to raise by $15/tonne/year until 2030 when it reaches $170/tonne.  If natural gas prices rose by 5%/year during the next six years, in 2030 we would be paying about $3.86/gigajoule for gas and $8.47 in carbon taxes.  If my our gas was the same as today, I would pay about $50/month for the gas ($600/year) and $110/month in carbon taxes ($1321/year).  Carbon tax would be 220% greater than the product.

On a quiet Sunday (July 7) BC’s Minister of Finance Katrine Conroy did the usual NDP “slight of hand” and announced that the entire carbon tax increase from April 1^st ($15/tonne) would be returned to about 2 million BC families.  What she did not say was most of the $80/tonne carbon tax we pay goes to general revenue and is not returned to the people, and that if you make more than the average annual wage, you will see little to none of it.  And, did you know if you pay more carbon tax BC will have greater snowpacks, less drought and fewer wildfires?  Yup, that is what our government is telling us.

“In B.C., we are seeing low snowpacks, serious drought and record wildfire seasons,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Finance. “As we put a price on pollution and work to protect communities from climate change, we are making sure it’s fair and we are providing support to middle- and low-income families. As we fight climate change, we will take action to help with everyday costs by building the homes people need, delivering a BC Electricity Affordability Credit, providing a fourth ICBC rebate and reducing child care costs.”

Did you know that you shouldn’t rush out and spend that BC Electricity Affordability Credit?  When the election is done in October BC Hydro will increase their rates as we began to pay down the Site C debt? 

The press release also stated that “Budget 2024 allocated more than 100% of revenue from 2024-25 carbon tax increases to the credit …. Approximately 65% of people in B.C. receive money through the tax credit. The credit will increase annually with the goal of 80% of individuals and families receiving the credit by 2030.”

Whoop-dee-do!  Yes, David Eby says that by 2030, 80% of BC residents will be getting a little bit of the carbon tax billions paid buy us, the consumers.  I say, not likely to happen as when the Federal Conservatives win the 2025 election the carbon tax will be gone, and hopefully by this fall, so will the BC NDP.

But before you celebrate, remember that the BC Conservatives say they will get rid of the carbon tax if they are elected, but unfortunately, something they cannot really do.  The carbon tax is federal legislation and if BC’s carbon tax plan is cancelled then BC will default to Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax.  BC United has stated if elected they will eliminate the fuel taxes and then “Axe the Tax” when Pierre Poilievre wins the Federal election next year and rids Canada of the carbon tax once and for all.

Did you know that our NDP government pays some First Nations to watch our trees grow?  Yes, as crazy as it sounds, it is true – another carbon slight-of-hand, called carbon-offsets, where our government gives our tax dollars away to make themselves feel better about all the fossil fuels they burn in keeping the heat on in Legislature.  David Eby takes millions of our tax dollars and gives it away to keep our trees from being cut down and sold, and yes, these are the same trees that his Ministry of Forests so jealously guards and refuses to issue cutting permits for our forest industry.

For years our government has been quietly paying into what they call a carbon storage scheme where our tax dollars are given to local First Nations to literally watch trees grow. Nothing, more, or nothing less, except that we must pay for these “guardians of the forest” to ensure no one sneaks in and steals a few.

Not good enough to take a couple satellite pictures every year to see if the tree that David paid for as his penance for burning that fossil fuel are still standing and sucking up all that CO2.  To keep those trees standing we must pay millions for new boats, trucks, all terrain vehicles, helicopter flights, training, wages and copious amounts of fossil fuels to ensure that these caretakers are well paid and looked after, as their primary job is to ensure that nothing is happening on our crown lands.

You still wonder why some First Nations are so willing to agree with our Government that new parks are their economic future?

It is not only BC that has gone overboard with carbon hysteria.  Justin with the help of his side kick Jagmeet just passed what has been dubbed the “green-washing” bill as part of Bill C-59 (the omnibus bill which passed on June 20^th and approved the 2024 Federal budget). 

Embedded in Bill C-59 was legislation which outlaws any “deceptive environmental claims” without “adequate and proper tests” or “internationally recognized methodologies.”  It was primarily aimed at Canadian energy companies who advertise that their products are used for the benefit of society or help in the transition to other energy sources.

As a result, most Canadian natural gas and oil companies scrubbed their websites prior to the passing of this legislation so charges cannot be brought against them for saying anything that cannot be proven or agreed to by this mythical and international recognized body of “scientists”. It also expands the ability of private citizens and organizations to bring “green washing” charges against our energy industry.

Being retired and always looking for some other trouble to get myself into, I am embarking on a new career as an advertising consultant to our energy industry.  No more ads guessing as to what our energy may be used for or how good and clean it is, but a campaign to tell the world on how we use it and how appreciative we are that it is used by the worlds most important people and organizations.

Anything wrong with Shell proudly telling the world that; “Our Jet B was used in the jet to safely fly federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault to the World Climate meetings so he could brag about how many emissions targets his legislation has missed”?

Or on the six o’clock news Enbridge’s message is; “The natural gas we transport to Victoria is used to keep Premier David nice and warm in the Victoria legislature and Finance Minister Conroy spouting half truths about all the government money she is returning to the people of BC”;

Or Tourmaline telling us; “Our natural gas is converted into plastics for the Drs and Nurses in Vancouver’s Sick Children’s Hospital to use as shields against any stray bugs and diseases being passed on to those children which then allows their stay to be much safer than it would be without covering everything with plastic”;

Or CNRL mailout reading that; “Our oil is preferred by many of BC’s high-profile environmental organizations to power their cars, trucks, planes, boats and heat their homes and offices while they so diligently work to prove that another windmill or two on Grouse Mtn and solar panels on Vancouver’s North Shore will stop tornadoes in Texas”;

And, for Irving Oil back east; “We import our oil from Saudi Arabia so their emissions stay there, and none can be charged to Canada and then sell it carbon tax free to easterner’s to be used to heat their homes as it is burnt in Canada carbon tax free”.

Or will it be used by people like you and me to sue Justin, David, Steven and George to stop their ludicrous claims that a Canadian carbon tax will save our planet?

Did you hear that Climate Change Canada has invented a new program that can almost instantaneously determine if any climatic event is caused by “Man made carbon” or “God made weather”?  Yes, when I read that I immediately thought of Pat Sajak picking a daily weather event and then spinning the Wheel of Fortune with slogans such as “110% Manmade”, or “Absolutely an act of God” to “Go Back and Flip the Coin” or “Go Ask Alice”. 

And for those of you who have trouble remembering what Jefferson Airplane said about Alice in the White Rabbit” in verse four;

“When logic and proportion

Have fallen sloppy dead

And the White Knight is talking backwards

And the Red Queen’s off with her head

Remember what the Dormouse* said

Feed your head

Feed your head”

*The Hatter in Alice In Wonderland can’t remember what the dormouse said. Grace Slick is telling the listener not to be like the Dormouse, to pay attention and educate yourself!

Oh, so much for Poilievre and Falcon/Rustad to fix in Ottawa and Victoria.

Evan, and now waiting for that call to action!