Cariboo BCUP MLAs Lorne Doerkson and Coralee Oakes are accountable for their leader’s hypocrisy on the carbon tax, says BC NDP MLA Ravi Parmar.

“For 15 years, Kevin Falcon proudly supported the carbon tax,” says Parmar. “But now that John Rustad is campaigning against it, Falcon is suddenly saying he’s against it too. Nobody knows where he really stands.”

Just four months ago, Kevin Falcon said to CHEK TV in Victoria: “I was always proud to be part of the government that brought in North America’s first revenue neutral carbon tax, and I’m really really proud of that.”

But after losing supporters to the BC Conservatives (who oppose the carbon tax), Falcon suddenly tried to shift his position this month.

“Kevin Falcon has shown a staggering lack of principle on the carbon tax,” says Parmar. “BCUP MLAs like Lorne Doerkson and Coralee Oakes need to answer for their leader’s complete hypocrisy on the carbon tax.”

When Falcon was running to become BC Liberal Leader, he cited the carbon tax as an example of the type of leadership he wanted to “bring back.”

“Remember, it was the B.C. Liberals that brought in the revenue neutral carbon tax,” Falcon said at a leadership debate in 2021. “It was the NDP that opposed us in bringing that in, that fought an election and lost trying to oppose us on the carbon tax. That’s the kind of leadership that I want to bring back. We are going to lead on the climate file.”

Falcon’s claim that his carbon tax was revenue-neutral is false.

“Whether you’re in favour of the carbon tax or against it, it’s impossible to trust Kevin Falcon on it,” said Parmar. “He’ll say anything about it to get elected.”