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Indeed, it looks like the only folks who won’t be offered a way out of the cap-and-trade program are Ontarians themselves, who will now pay the equivalent, at current prices, of a five per cent sales tax at the gas pumps, and another $60 a year in higher heating bills. Not those in the rural regions, who lack the ability to swap their gas-hungry four-wheelers for transit or Teslas, and — with no modern, low-carbon condo projects within driving distance of the local mine or lumber mill — are stuck shelling out more if they plan to stay warm. Not even any sign of rebates for low-income families. But it will all come out in the wash, Sousa insists, since we’ll be able to get places more efficiently “because we’re investing in infrastructure,” to the tune of $160 billion over 12 years, although much of that has nothing to do with transportation.

What all this construction of bureaucratic infrastructure, and the squeeze on consumers’ gasoline bills, heating bills, and costs for any grocery or good shipped by truck is supposed to save in actual emissions, the government documents had nothing to say about. This is, after all, a budget, not an environmental document, and plainly the cap and trade plan is about dressing up new taxes as virtuous, green Liberal citizenship.

But, the Ontario documents are careful to note, these are taxes that should be fully accounted for should Ottawa try taxing the same provincial base again with federal climate levies: “It is critical that any action recognize the steps Ontario has already taken to reduce GHG emissions.” Because, while it certainly took the Ontario Liberals long enough to come up with this carbon tax regime (and even if its actual effect on GHG emissions is dubious) they were at least clever enough to start the grabbing before their federal counterparts could.



Financial Post