Carbon Tax Implications to Northern Communities

WHEREAS the provincial government has instituted a carbon tax with the 2008 Budget to encourage British Columbians to use alternatives to fossil fuels, and communities in Northern BC heavily rely on traditional ways of transportation due to distances and limited infrastructure; AND WHEREAS a carbon tax would benefit only areas where public and alternative transportation methods are feasible, penalizing northern communities by having to subsidize communities and programs that are applicable only to limited areas of the province, which are experiencing economic growth as opposed to the challenges that Northern communities are living: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities request the provincial government to: - Create the conditions for a fair application of this tax throughout BC; - Provide Northern communities with alternative options to assist with the provincial climate change program; - Mitigate the impact of this tax on the Northern communities and economy, which accounts for 60 of the total GDP in the province; and finally - Take into consideration economic impacts of future legislation that may directly or indirectly impact communities in the North.