News Release - June 24, 2008

Gordon Campbell's claim that B.C.'s largest polluters are contributing their fair share toward fighting climate change is simply not true, say the New Democrats.

"Right now, Alcan is spewing out carbon emissions and they're not paying a dime for it," said NDP energy critic John Horgan. "Flaring at gas wells accounts for 13.5 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions, but rather than making them pay for those emissions, the Campbell government is giving them record high subsidies."

Horgan said Campbell's fuel tax directly hits British Columbians, lets large polluters off the hook, and doesn't help in the battle against climate change.

"We should be providing people with alternatives. But, rather than putting money into increased transit services, Campbell's fuel tax will lead to increased costs for TransLink and B.C. Transit," said Horgan, the MLA for Malahat-Juan de Fuca.

"Campbell claims that his fuel tax is ‘revenue neutral', but British Columbians knows it will hit them hard, especially when the tax goes beyond seven cents a litre in four years. Ultimately, it's middle and low income earners who will bear the costs of a tax that doesn't even fight climate change," said Horgan.

New Democrat environment critic Shane Simpson said British Columbians are particularly concerned that the controversial fuel tax is distracting the government from taking immediate steps to fight climate change.

"Even the government's own figures show that the fuel tax is nothing more than a symbolic move that will hardly reduce emissions. It is crucial that we get on with real measures, including tough regulations on big polluters and a strong cap-and-trade system," said Simpson, the MLA for Vancouver-Hastings.

"Emissions from many of the biggest polluters, such as cement plants and landfills, aren't covered by the fuel tax, and now the cap-and-trade system that we were told would deal with those emissions has been delayed indefinitely. We need real climate action now, but Campbell's fuel tax doesn't cut it," said Simpson.

Carole James and the NDP are calling for real climate action that includes emissions pricing targeted at big polluters. For more information on the New Democrat framework, see www.realclimateaction.ca