News Release - September 19, 2008

VICTORIA - Gordon Campbell must explain whether he agrees with his top climate change advisor Mark Jaccard that the fuel tax should be hiked ten-fold, the New Democrats said today.

"British Columbians need to know whether Gordon Campbell agrees with his climate guru that the gas tax should be increased to 24 cents a litre.  Whether he wants to call it a carbon tax or a pollution tax, any way you slice it British Columbians are calling on Gordon Campbell to scrap this tax," said New Democrat energy critic John Horgan, noting Campbell is trying to re-brand the gas tax.

During an interview Thursday on CHNL radio, Jaccard stated that the gas tax should be raised to 24 cents a litre by 2020, and that such a tax hike is "the thing we want".  When asked whether British Columbians should be paying a higher gas tax, Jaccard said "oh absolutely, and we will be."

Horgan noted that, while touring the province this week with the legislature's finance committee, he heard concerns about Campbell's gas tax from a wide variety of groups, including the Vancouver Board of Trade, the Peace River North school district, and Initiatives Prince George.

"That the premier's top climate change advisor would propose a ten-fold increase in the gas tax at the very time that people from across the political spectrum are calling for a rethink of the gas tax, just shows how out of touch Gordon Campbell is with the real challenges facing British Columbians."

Horgan added that Campbell and Jaccard seem to be living in a fantasy land when it comes to the gas tax, pointing to Jaccard's comments during a public lecture on Wednesday that high gas prices will not lead to a behaviour shift.

"If Gordon Campbell's climate change advisor thinks that the gas tax needs to be at least 24 cents a litre to be effective, that begs the question:  Is Gordon Campbell going to continue to hit consumers with a gas tax his top advisor says isn't high enough to be effective?  Or is the premier planning on hiking the tax by 1,000 per cent?" said New Democrat environment critic Shane Simpson.

"If the B.C. Liberal government were serious about addressing climate change, they would start by taking real action, like investing in public transit and cracking down on big polluters."

Mark Jaccard has been given more than $220,000 in contracts with the Campbell government, and has been credited as being one of the leading forces behind Campbell's gas tax.

The gas tax is currently slated to increase annually, hitting 7.02 cents a litre by 2012.  Increases beyond 2012 have not yet been set.

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Contact: Sara Goldvine (250) 208-3560