[Policy] [BW_Advocacy] Supporting Functional Transit to Help Prevent Freezing of Transit Subsidy - Carbon Pricing Coalition

[Charles Feaver]

As much as I support Transit, and I am worried that the current administration is going to make bad choices on carbon tax, I do not think BW should ally itself with either of these campaigns or the organizations behind them.

 

1.       They are both related issues, but not directly our issue. 

2.       These organizations are running public campaigns challenging the provincial government; so far BW has not been forced to do that. BW should value its positive relationship with the current administration, and work to maintain it so long as their positions on our key issues allow.  

Charles

 

 

From: Advocacy [mailto:advocacy-bounces at lists.bikewinnipeg.ca] On Behalf Of Mark Cohoe
Sent: August 15, 2017 3:58 PM
To: Bike Winnipeg Advocacy <advocacy at lists.bikewinnipeg.ca>; BW Policy <policy at lists.bikewinnipeg.ca>
Subject: [BW_Advocacy] Supporting Functional Transit to Help Prevent Freezing of Transit Subsidy - Carbon Pricing Coalition

 

HI Everyone,

I hope your summers have been going well. Sorry for the cross posting, but I thought it made sense for this issue.


As you may know, the provincial government is planning to end legislation guaranteeing provincial funding for municipal transit agencies in Manitoba. Essentially, the current legislation guarantees that the province will match municipal funding for any subsidy of transit services (operating expenses - revenue). This would obviously cause problems for the city as they would have to choose to either reduce their subsidy, raise taxes to cover the difference or shift funding from other projects/priorities to make up the difference.

Functional Transit <http://functionaltransit.com/> , which lobbies for improved transit service and changes to the way that the transit service is run, has put together a letter writing campaign and is organizing like minded groups to help push for the maintenance of the existing agreement. I'm taking part in a meeting this Thursday, August 17th to discuss the strategy.

I'm looking for advice/direction on three items:


1) Should we use our resources (Facebook, Newsletter) to promote the letter writing campaign and subsequent planning? I certainly think we should.

2) I'd also like to join with them (and other like-minded organizations) to develop a strategy around carbon pricing and planning on what to do with the revenues generated from any carbon tax, with an emphasis on dedicating monies raised to transit and AT (both capital and operating) Ultimately, I think it probably makes sense to push towards partnering with the Manitoba Carbon Pricing Coalition <https://www.facebook.com/mbcarbonpricing/>  on this, but I figure it's worth starting with Functional Transit to try and develop some common goals before advancing to the bigger group.

3) From above, you can see that I think it makes sense for us to get involved in the Manitoba Carbon Pricing Coalition. What do others think, should I start the process?

In terms of the money that would be raised from the carbon tax, it`s huge. Our provincial government's decision to stay out of the pan-Canadian carbon pricing policy is currently holding up $66 million over 5 years, with a very serious threat for that money to be shifted into a general fund available to all provinces.  But even that is small potatoes compared with the money that would be generated by a carbon tax. 

Here is a partial list of expected carbon tax revenues in Manitoba. It leaves out off-road transportation (think agriculture, mining, forestry) as well as other agricultural emissions (mainly emitted through the use of fertilizer, livestock and manure management) which may end up getting exempted or at least dedicated back to their respective sectors.

					
2018

2019

2020

2021

2022


Projected Revenues

									

On Road Transportation

Gasoline

		33.28%

$34,962,982

$68,085,806

$99,368,474

$128,810,985

$156,413,339

	
Diesel

		19.17%

$20,140,292

$39,220,569

$57,240,830

$74,201,076

$90,101,306


Off Road Transportation

									

Stationary Combustion

									
	
Residential

		11.28%

$11,846,500

$22,446,000

$31,798,500

$39,904,000

$46,762,500

	
Commercial & Institutional

		13.26%

$13,927,000

$26,388,000

$37,383,000

$46,912,000

$54,975,000

	
Manufacturing

		11.13%

$11,694,500

$22,158,000

$31,390,500

$39,392,000

$46,162,500


Pipelines

			2.33%

$2,451,000

$4,902,000

$7,353,000

$9,804,000

$12,255,000


Solid Waste

			9.56%

$10,041,500

$19,026,000

$26,953,500

$33,824,000

$39,637,500


Total Revenues

			100.00%

$105,063,774

$202,226,375

$291,487,804

$372,848,060

$446,307,145


Unlike the $66 million, the Federal Government has promised that any money raised by the carbon tax will stay in the province it was raised in. The catch is that unless the province joins in on the Pan-Canadian pricing policy, the Federal government will decide how it is spent, not the provincial government. That may be a good thing or a bad thing.

Cheers,

Mark

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