Thank you, Chair, for this opportunity.
There are a couple things I want to speak to.
Mr. Warawa alluded that for B.C. there was no difference, essentially, in putting a price on pollution.
Mr. Balasubramanian, we just recently heard from a Nobel laureate in economics who referred specifically to British Columbia's price on pollution as a great example of effective climate policy. British Columbia's direct price on carbon pollution has been in place since 2008. Analysis suggested the policy reduced emissions anywhere from 5% to 15%. Meanwhile, provincial real GDP in B.C. grew by more than 17% from 2007 to 2015, outpacing the rest of Canada. Per capita gasoline demand dropped by 15% between 2007 and 2014.
Does that sound to you as though it's made no difference? Would you agree that this Nobel laureate in economics has something right in those comments?