It's a Gas

You know you’ve been working in politics too long (yes, a whole year – what a mighty and distinguished career I’ve had) when a big news story always makes you think “How are people going to blame the federal government for this in masses of lengthy e-mails?”

And so it was with the rising, then falling, then rising, then rising, then peaking, then falling, then rising, then falling, and then rising again, price of gas.

And I knew right away what it was going to be – the EVIL EVIL FEDERAL GAS TAX (hiss!).

And lo and behold – so it has been.

Now let me just say that I believe that everyone has a right to an opinion – but that doesn’t make an opinion right. Especially when it’s, well, wrong.

Like the dude writing to ask that the EVIL EVIL FEDERAL GAS TAX (hiss!) be reduced by 10 cents per litre. Which, as he fails to mention, would make it 0. Because it is only 10 cents per litre. This excise tax is consistent, regardless of the price of gas. So if you’re filling up your 40L tank twice a week, you’re paying $8 in federal excise tax whether gas is 15 cents or a dollar fifty.

Also – just a side note – every province also adds their own tax, and only in Alberta and two of the territories is that less than the federal amount. I only mention that because when the tough questions come out (“Hey mister premier, why is my gas so expensive?”) the provinces have a pretty standard response (“Err…why…um…look over there! It’s the EVIL EVIL FEDERAL GAS TAX (hiss!)”).

“BUT the Conservatives/Fraser Institute say that I’m getting taxed on tax waa waa the GST waa waa waa…”

Yes – you pay GST too. Yes, on top of the gas tax. You are taxed twice on that $8. So that’s – 56 cents.

Or – and this is a pretty crazy idea – people could drive half as much and cut their costs in half. With gas at a dollar a litre (for the sake of easy arithmetic) you save not 56 cents, but $40.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it? The problem is that people don’t want to drive less. They want to drive the same amount, if not more, in a bigger car, on better roads, with less traffic, and they want it to be cheaper than last week, and they want their air to be cleaner and their water more pure and the rivers to flow with Molson Ex and unicorns to prance around joyfully, tra-la-la, ta-tra-la, la-dee-dah, tra-la-la, tra-laaaaaa!!!!!!

Oops…sorry. I was just swept away into the fantasy world where the people who think that the government should be encouraging the increased use of fossil fuel vehicles live.

Because, seriously? It shouldn’t. Cars are bad. Yes, yes, and pretty and shiny and terribly convenient and god knows it’s nice that DD has one when I’m playing rugby out at Twin Elm aka Corn Field Central (motto “for all your rugby and corn field needs!”). But they’re a significant source of pollution, the infrastructure required for them takes valuable land and money and they run on a limited resource which cannot be replenished – simply put, they are unsustainable. Even more simply put – cars as we know them cannot be used forever, or even for much longer.

So yes – the gov makes a mint off gas taxes. But you know what? Roads aren’t cheap. Policing isn’t cheap. Health care isn’t cheap. I mean, we could all try to pool our $8.56 and fund the infrastructure needed for a fossil-fuel-car-based society but – um, that’s why we have a government. And right now they’re saying that that money is better spent on initiatives for public transit, more efficient cars, and alternative energy sources.

And I agree. And I think a lot of Canadians do too. There’s very few people out there who cannot reduce the amount of gas they use, whether in their car or in their home. It’s good for the pocket book, it’s good for the environment, and it’s good for my sanity when they stop writing me insane e-mails about the EEFGT(h!).