Carbon tax breaks hit Canadians' pockets as backlash over 'Tax Ax' continues

Millions of Canadians woke up Monday with a carbon tax rebate check in their bank accounts, but for some who are protesting the tax, that's not enough.

Hundreds of “Tax Axe” protests have lined Highway 1 near Cochrane for 15 days since the April 1 federal tax hike.

“It's great to see all Canadians coming together because it's something that brings everyone together,” protest organizer Judy Martens said.

“So if everybody is hurting, we're here for them.”

The federal Liberal government says a family of four in Alberta will receive $1,800 in benefits, most of it through direct deposit.

An individual receives $225 each quarter.

To receive the discount on Monday, you must submit your personal income tax return by March 15.

If you apply later, you will receive it no earlier than May 15, June 15, or July 15, in the next discount payment.

“If you haven't paid your taxes, you don't understand this,” protester Rudy Bruce said.

“If you're against the government in any shape or fashion, you're screwed. You don't understand that.'

Bruce says he is a long-haul truck driver and the cost of petrol and diesel is difficult.

“I haven't paid taxes in over 7 years,” he said.

“That's because the government is trying to get on my taxes and get me four bucks, and I'm trying to stop it.”

He says he hasn't received the discount yet.

“This discount is a joke because it increases the cost of your groceries, increases the cost of everything,” he said.

When Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem was in Calgary last fall, he said carbon prices would contribute to inflation “in the 0.15 percent range.”

“It's very small,” Macklem said at the time.

Martens says the group will continue to protest with signs and flags until the carbon tax is repealed.

“I heard about one person getting it (the discount), but it doesn't even matter,” Martens said.

“If you give someone your whole meal and you get crumbs in return, that's not enough to sustain you, which is why we're still here.”

Jason Wright says the discount is an example of Ottawa not listening to Canadians.

“I think there's an insular elite class in Ottawa that's so disconnected from the common people on the ground,” he said.

“There is no public transportation here. How do you get around? Not many people can afford to buy this stuff.”

Lori Williams, a political science professor at Mount Royal University, says most tax opponents want to understand where the money is going.

“There are some people who, whatever the discount, are as opposed to a carbon tax as the federal government,” he said.

“The sense of whether or not people are suffering from a particular component of these costs is something that they can't put together in an exact calculation.”