RCI作者 方华
安大略省保守党政府刚刚推出的预算法案中包含了一个有政治色彩、与老百姓息息相关的条款，这就是要求安大略省境内所有加油站必须在加油油枪上张贴汽油价格中含有多少联邦碳税的贴纸；不这样做的加油站东主会被罚款。
如果政府检查员发现加油站的加油枪上没有这碳税信息贴纸，对初犯的加油站东主的罚款是一天5百加元，再犯的罚款是每天1千加元；而对公司的罚款则是初犯每天5千加元，再犯每天1万加元。
如果干扰政府检查员的工作，则涉事的加油站会被罚款少则5百、多则1万加元。
根据这个被称作联邦碳税透明法案的法规，碳税贴纸上必须写明现在每立升汽油价格中有4.4分加币是交给联邦政府的碳税，到2022年每立升汽油售价中会有11分加币是交给联邦政府的碳税。
反对特鲁多政府联邦碳排放税的安大略省保守党政府是想让老百姓抱怨油价太高时把矛头对准联邦自由党政府。
特鲁多政府环境部长Catherine McKenna指责安大略省福特政府的这一做法太荒唐，不但践踏了言论自由、而且给那些不想卷入反联邦碳税政治宣传活动的中小型加油站东主们带来沉重财务负担。
RCI with Allison Jones · The Canadian Press
Ford will fine gas station owners $10,000 a day for failing to carry propaganda stickers
QUEEN’S PARK – The Ford Government isn’t just spending thousands of public dollars on gas pump stickers promoting a partisan campaign against carbon pricing – yesterday’s budget bill revealed that Ford plans to fine gas stations $10,000 a day if the businesses fail or refuse to post the stickers.
The stickers, which Ford will use public money to produce and distribute, denounce the federal carbon price being applied to provinces without a carbon pricing strategy. Doug Ford cancelled Ontario’s cap-and-trade program as a big favour to big polluters.
“This is a new low, even for Doug Ford,” said Peter Tabuns, the NDP’s Energy and Climate Change critic. “It’s bad enough that he’s wasting public money on partisan promotion, but now he’s threatening private business owners with massive fines for failing to post Conservative Party advertisement. So much for free speech.
“From sticking his slogan and party colours on license plates, to threatening gas stations that fail to carry Conservative party advertisements, Doug Ford is spending a lot of people’s money on himself and his party.”
Tabuns said both the sticker — which does not include items like the provincial gas tax, making it inaccurate and biased — and the fine need to be cancelled immediately.
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Media contact: Michelle Ervin, 416-735-0741
Background: Ford will fine gas station owners $10,000 a day for failing to carry propaganda stickers
Page 74 of the Federal Carbon Transparency Act reads, in part:
2 (1) The person who is licensed under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 to operate a retail outlet at which gasoline is sold at a gasoline pump and put into the fuel tanks of motor vehicles shall,
(a) obtain from the Minister copies of the prescribed notice with respect to the price of gasoline sold in Ontario; and
(b) ensure the notice referred to in clause (a) is affixed to each gasoline pump at the retail outlet in such manner as may be prescribed…
4 (1) Every person who contravenes subsection 2 (1) is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable,
(a) in the case of an individual,
(i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $500 for every day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues, and
(ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $1,000 for every day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues; and
(b) in the case of a corporation,
(i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $5,000 for every day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues, and
(ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $10,000 for every day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues.
