This column was originally printed in the Winnipeg Free Press, and is now free to reprint.
It's easy to lift a piano onto the back of a truck--if everyone lifts at once. If one person lifts while the others watch, the piano remains grounded despite the singular strain. That's the scenario a carbon tax presents to Canadians.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he will impose a carbon tax on all provinces. The tax will start at $10/tonne in 2018 and rise to $50/tonne in 2022. To put that in context, British Columbia's carbon tax is currently $30/tonne and translates to a 6.7 cent per litre tax on gasoline. According to our calculations, Prime Minister Trudeau's carbon tax will cost the average household more than $2,500 annually when it's fully implemented.
