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The B.C. Liberals have agreed with a federal proposal to raise the carbon tax to $50 a tonne by 2020, and the NDP has proposed a gradual approach to the same level in order to soften the blow to the provincial economy.

Weaver also promised to adopt the climate leadership team’s recommendation to set a target of cutting emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 from 2007 levels.

Weaver said his strategy will create jobs and boost the economy. He said a Green government would abandon the current government strategy of making the carbon tax “revenue neutral” through what he called bizarre boutique tax credits and instead invest the money in infrastructure projects and to help consumers make low-carbon choices. The carbon tax is projected to earn the province $1.2 billion in revenue in 2016-17 at $30 a tonne.

“We will not continue down that path toward revenue neutrality,” Weaver said. “We’d simplify the taxation system … and use some of the revenue from the carbon tax to assist jurisdictions to reduce carbon.”

Weaver also launched attacks on the Liberals and NDP, mocking the Liberals for failing to deliver on grandiose promises of a liquefied natural gas industry and questioning whether the NDP has a unified position on its issues.

“Frankly, we were promised unicorns in each and every one of our backyards,” Weaver said of the Liberal LNG promises, which included three plants, 100,000 jobs and a $100 billion prosperity fund. “The Liberals have failed to deliver. For people to think this government is somehow good for the economy just boggles my mind. This government’s view of the economy is to use taxpayer resources to subsidize the projects of their corporate donors.”