As Pierre Poilievre prepares to mark todayB次元官网网址檚 carbon tax hike with an Axe the Tax rally in Nanaimo, an energy think tank says the tax will ultimately make most British Columbians better off.

But Trevor Melanson, communications director with Clean Energy Canada, also said tax supporters must do a better job of explaining the tax, which rose by 23 per cent to $80 per tonne April 1.

Melanson said Poilievre and seven provincial premiers opposed to the tax increase are talking about it for political gain.

B次元官网网址淭hey could choose to ignore it (the tax) and we could all just get on with doing our part to combat climate change,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o part of it is a choice to make it a political fight. But also the B次元官网网址楢xe The TaxB次元官网网址� side of this fight has an easier story to tell.B次元官网网址�

Melanson said the argument of the federal Conservative leader and his supporters literally consists of its three-word slogan.

B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 need to tell you anything else for you to have a basic concept what their argument is,B次元官网网址� Melanson said.

The carbon tax is not the B次元官网网址渢rue culprit of why things have gotten so expensive in this country and in this province,B次元官网网址� Melanson said in echoing hundreds of economists from university departments across the country. They recently issued a letter stating global factors such COVID-19 and international conflicts have B次元官网网址渕ainlyB次元官网网址� contributed to inflation, not carbon taxes.

B次元官网网址淎ccording to the Bank of Canada, carbon pricing has caused less than 1/20th of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 inflation in the past two years. B次元官网网址淐limate change, on the other hand, poses a real threat to CanadiansB次元官网网址� economic well-being. For example, it increases the risk and severity of natural disturbances, such as fires, floods, and severe storms.B次元官网网址�

Melanson said these have become part of daily life.

B次元官网网址淪o we all know we need to do something and there is really no-zero cost option here,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥bviously, not solving climate change is not zero cost. ItB次元官网网址檚 the most costly option.B次元官网网址�

The public may not fully understand the elegance of the carbon tax and corresponding rebate as a price signal to encourage choices that cut greenhouse gas emissions, Melanson said.

One hundred per cent of this monthB次元官网网址檚 increase in the carbon tax will be rebated back.

B次元官网网址淚 look at lots of polling on this, I have been in focus groupsB次元官网网址�and the overwhelming majority of people do not (understand) how carbon pricing works,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲hat we needed is something like a national education campaign to help people understand it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think it could have raised better awareness of a lot of the climate measures they (governments) have been doing.B次元官网网址�

RELATED:

Melanson added that governments should have done launched such an information campaign years ago.

B次元官网网址�(They) are up against the three easiest words in politics,B次元官网网址� he said.

However, the declining popularity of the carbon tax also may not be just about a failure to communicate.

Currently less than half of B次元官网网址榯ax householdsB次元官网网址� B.C. B次元官网网址� 43 per cent B次元官网网址� receive the full climate action tax credit. About two-thirds receive a full or partial credits. Government wants to stretch this to 80 per cent by 2030 by raising eligibility thresholds.

Experts have also pointed out that government collects more than in carbon tax revenue than it returns in the form of rebates. B.C.B次元官网网址檚 budget currently shows government collecting just under $9.1 billion in revenues through the tax, and returning $3.52 billion through the credit.

When asked about this difference, Environment Minister George Heyman said a B次元官网网址渟ignificant amount of that money goes towards supporting a range of investments and incentives and rebatesB次元官网网址� whether it is for public transportation, zero-emission vehicles or heat pumps.

B次元官网网址淲e are also supporting the industry through the Clean BC Industry fund, we are investing substantial amounts in electrification for both the electricity that families will need in the future and industry will need to ensure that they lower their carbon emissions and are therefore more successful, more competitive and pay less carbon tax.B次元官网网址�

Melanson called the tax progressive and moving people in the right direction.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 largely been the story across the country, that most people end up better off under a carbon price.B次元官网网址�