There are few things more frustrating than hidden costs. You know what I'm talking about: airline baggage surcharges, banking fees, or basically anything that appears in fine print on your cell phone bill.
Using hidden costs to make a product or service seem more affordable is an age-old marketing gimmick that just rubs most folks the wrong way. In recent years governments across North America have been enacting legislation to better protect consumers from misleading advertising and hidden costs. Unfortunately, here in Alberta, it seems the government is embracing such tactics to push its flagship policy: the Notley Carbon Tax.
As has been widely reported, the government is sinking $9 million of taxpayers' money into advertising for a carbon tax plan. Seeking to drive a positive, emotion-based message, much of this advertising skirts the economic impacts, which include rising costs for consumers, and job losses. As a result, these advertisements are being widely ridiculed, to the point where moviegoers are openly booing them in theatres.
With the tax taking effect on January 1, consumers are just now coming to grips with the direct costs. The price of gasoline has risen 4.5 cents per litre, diesel is up 5.4 cents per litre, natural gas prices will increase 30 per cent, and propane prices are up 3.1 cents per litre. However, these are just the upfront costs.
Unlike income, corporate, or property taxes, the Notley Carbon Tax is also being applied to municipalities, school boards, and our health system. Make no mistake; these institutions are some of the largest enterprises in our province. Alberta Health Services alone is a top-five employer, with dozens of major facilities and hundreds of vehicles. The cost increases will be substantial.
An internal ministerial briefing document obtained by our Official Opposition shows the Notley Carbon Tax is expected to cost school boards up to $12 million in 2017, and $18 million in 2018. When the carbon tax is fully implemented at $50 per tonne, school boards could be on the hook for an additional $30 million, with rural regions facing a disproportionate increase in busing costs.
So who will pay more to heat hospitals and schools? Who will pay more for ambulances and school bus transportation costs? Who will pay more for snow ploughing? Not the government. Not the Premier. You will. You will pay through busing fees, property taxes, fee increases, and larger deficits. You will pay, pay, and pay some more.
These are just some of the hidden costs of the Notley Carbon Tax, costs that you will not hear about in the government's advertising. These are the costs that will make it the largest backdoor tax increase in Alberta's history.
For the record, I agree with laws to better protect consumers from misleading advertising and hidden costs. And I think we know just where to start.
- Nathan Cooper is the Wildrose MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills
