By Corey Fischer

Feds Won’t Drop GST On Carbon Tax

Jul 21, 2017 | 6:52 AM

The federal government has rejected Vernon city councillor Bob Spiers’ attempt to drop the GST from the carbon tax.

His online petition received one thousand 596 signatures.

The government says on its website that pricing carbon pollution is a central component of the pan-Canadian framework on Clean growth and Climate Change.

It goes on to suggest that other provinces will also see the GST applied once they implement a carbon tax.

“Very disappointed but it wasn’t unexpected. They’ve been doing it for eight years.”

Youth Mental Health Supports

Swimmer to traverse Okanagan Lake in support of Foundry projects

8h ago

Weather alerts

Thunderstorm Watch issued for the Okanagan

12h ago

Fatal Collision

One youth killed, another injured in crash near Lumby

Jun 29, 2026

Spiers says he hoped the government would see the reasoning behind it, especially since the Prime Minister has said all the revenue from the carbon tax would remain in the province in which it’s collected.

“Again, fighting this one since 2008 I guess. But that is the response and that ends that portion of the thing.”

Spiers notes a private member’s on the same proposal goes up for 2nd reading in the Commons in the fall.

He doesn’t expect that to go anywhere.

Spiers says he might start a campaign to dump the carbon tax on home heating fuel.

“If it was removed from there, therefore the GST would also be removed on the federal level because there wouldn’t be any carbon tax on your bill when it came in from Fortis.”

He admits that’s probably a pipe dream.

Spiers says he thinks what’s really stupid is there’s a carbon tax on cremation.

” Talk about death and taxes.”

North Okanagan-Shuswap MP Mel Arnold tabled the petition in the House of Commons on behalf of Spiers.

You can read the government’s response here:

by Corey Fischer