VICTORIA -- As the B.C. election campaign gets under way today, top environmentalists have set their sights on punishing Carole James, the New Democratic Party Leader, for her populist promise to scrap Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell's carbon tax on fossil fuels.

It is a twist that could not have been envisioned in the 2005 election: When Mr. Campbell asks Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point to dissolve the legislature this afternoon, he'll begin the campaign buoyed by a stream of accolades from his former foes in the environmental movement.

This will be the country's first election campaign in the current recession, and jobs and the economy will overshadow all else in the next four weeks.

So when a group of environmentalists called a news conference yesterday to effectively endorse the Liberals' climate-change agenda, their strategy was to paint the New Democrats as job killers.

"We see it as economically irresponsible," said Karen Campbell of the Pembina Institute, referring to the NDP's pledge to eliminate the carbon tax.

The tax on virtually all fossil fuels, including gasoline, diesel and home-heating fuel, took effect last July during a record-breaking spike in oil prices. The tax rate will rise over the next four years - a feature designed to encourage British Columbians to steadily reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions.

The NDP appeared to gain ground in popular support with an aggressive "axe the gas tax" crusade last summer, but recent polls show Ms. James starts the election battle today still well behind the B.C. Liberals.

While the Liberals have spread the burden of the tax on fossil fuels across most sectors of the economy, the NDP plan would target emissions from industry. Under that plan, Mr. Campbell said, "We're concerned [industry is] not going to be able to function with the carbon price they'll end up carrying."

The environmental alliance, which also includes the David Suzuki Foundation and ForestEthics, stopped short of telling voters to re-elect the Liberals to a third term.

"We didn't say the Liberals are the greatest thing since sliced bread," said Merran Smith of ForestEthics. But the group applauded Mr. Campbell's leadership on climate change and said voters should support leadership. It made no mention of the B.C. Green Party.

"The NDP has chosen what they think will be a publicly acceptable but climate-irresponsible approach," Ms. Smith said. "They want to step backwards on the price on carbon, on the policies that are in place, in the hopes that will get them elected."

Veteran environmental activist Tzeporah Berman, who campaigned for the NDP in the 2005 election, went even further. "There is no question that environmentalists should be punishing the NDP for their regressive position on climate change," she said in an interview yesterday. "Many environmentalists, like me, feel betrayed by Carole James."

Former federal Liberal environment minister David Anderson, who has clashed with Mr. Campbell in the past, said the Liberal Leader hasn't gone far enough on the environment but deserves credit for taking a risk with his carbon tax, which has been opposed by the business community and individual taxpayers.

"You should reward people who take principled environmental stands," Mr. Anderson said. "The NDP hasn't, and that's a great disappointment."

Ms. James, who opened her campaign office yesterday in her Victoria-Beacon Hill riding, said she accepts that she won't reach an accord with environmentalists.

"We certainly agree to disagree," she said. "We believe a bad tax is a bad tax and the carbon tax isn't working."

Ms. James said the gas tax is a burden to voters who are worried about their jobs and the economy. "The choice is the NDP who will put more money back in their pocket, stimulate the economy and grow jobs, or Gordon Campbell who is cutting programs and services and increasing taxes."

***

Controlling carbon

The NDP says it will replace B.C.'s carbon tax with other measures, including a cap-and-trade system that would put the province in line with emerging policies in the United States.

Currently 76% of BC's greenhouse gas emissions are covered by the Liberal government's carbon tax. Last year, the tax added about 2.3 cents a litre to the purchase price of gasoline.

Under the NDP's proposal 32% of B.C.'s greenhouse gases will be covered. The carbon tax on gasoline and heating fuel will be eliminated.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL // SOURCE: PEMBINA INSTITUTE,

DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION AND FOREST ETHICS

www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090414.BCELECTION14ATLART2229/TPStory/TPNational/