It has increased at the federal level; 80% of middle-class taxpayers are paying higher income taxes today than when this government took office, on average $800 more. That number is expected to rise to 92% of middle-class taxpayers paying roughly $2,000 more according to calculations by the Fraser Institute. None of those calculations actually include the burden of the carbon tax.
Speaking of the tax burden, Mr. Beugin, you said that the damage the carbon tax will do to the economy can be mitigated if the revenues are used to reduce corporate and income taxes. Recently we learned that British Columbia is now collecting more in carbon taxes than it has reduced in income tax and corporate taxes. Can you tell me of another Canadian jurisdiction, then, that has offset the carbon tax revenues with an equal or larger number of income tax and corporate tax reductions?