B.C.'s consumer carbon tax may be dead, but the debate about carbon taxation continues.

The provincial legislature finally rose at 1:49 a.m. Tuesday after Lt. Governor Wendy Cocchia gave royal assent to legislation that lowers the consumer carbon tax to zero, effectively ending the tax that came into existence in 2008 under the former B.C. Liberals.

Hours later, legislators were back in their seats and gave first reading to a private member's bill from Conservative MLA Peter Milobar to repeal what remains of the carbon tax. But the length of Monday's debate was not lost on Speaker Raj Chouhan.

"If you want to sleep through Question Period, you are most welcome," he said. 

Legislation dropping the consumer carbon tax to zero passed third reading with no recorded opposition, but generated opposition from the two B.C. Greens during second reading.

B.C. Green Interim Leader Jeremy Valeriote called the elimination of the carbon tax a "critical mistake" and accused government of surrendering an important tool in the ongoing fight against climate change. 

"How will this government follow through on their promise to reduce emissions?" he asked. "And I'm not just talking about a promise. I'm talking about a responsibility that we all have. How will they offer financial support to those most affected by the climate crisis?"

Valeriote also predicted that government's decision signals a larger abandonment of policies designed to fight climate change. 

"In this moment of uncertainty, what we need is bold leadership," he said. "But I fear this flip-flopping on the carbon tax is just the beginning. If it's a bellwether of what's to come, we should all be very concerned."

All present Conservatives plus the three independents joined the New Democrats in voting for the bill. But Conservatives used their time to criticize government for bringing forward the legislation mere hours before the consumer carbon tax was scheduled to increase on April 1. Milobar, MLA for Kamloops-Centre, questioned the rarely used procedure employed to push through the legislation. 

"The reality is that Bill 8 is not an urgent piece of legislation," he said. "(We) obviously have been calling for the repeal of carbon tax for quite some time, and in fact, it's quite interesting to see the epiphany that the Premier (David Eby) has had over carbon tax."

Milobar then recited various statements from Eby supporting the carbon tax prior to reversing that stance just prior to last fall's provincial election. 

Conservative Trevor Halford, MLA for Surrey-White Rock, reminded provincial New Democrats that they had campaigned against the tax in 2009.

"It's like Cirque du Soleil over there because you had a government that at one time campaigned against the tax, then supported the tax, then changed the tax and is now axing the tax, something that they campaigned on in 2009," he said. "They're a pretzel on this."

Conservative Sharon Hartwell, MLA for Bulkley-Stikine, said New Democrats should not be allowed to take credit for getting rid of the tax. Rather than leading, they "caved" to political pressure, she said.

"You don't get to spend years defending the carbon tax as morally and fiscally necessary and then, when the political wind shifts, rush to scrap it in one day and expect applause.You don't get to call us out for opposing (the carbon tax) and then steal our policy and act like you have always supported affordability." 

She also accused Eby of not only political hypocrisy, but also of selling out his supporters.

"What about the NDP MLAs across the way? Where are all the passionate defenders of the carbon tax? Well, the course has changed and now they sit here silently, pretending that none of those speeches were ever made." 

B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix described the legislation as an "honest assessment of where we find ourselves in 2025," adding now it "a time to sharpen our focus together and focus on the best ways, in today's circumstances, to build a sustainable and affordable province."

Dix said earlier that the carbon tax was just one tool to fight climate change. 

"I would say that the debate over the last number of years on the carbon tax has not been particularly edifying," Dix said. "It has been the subject of repeated and constant 30-second ads and it is no longer the helpful tool in promoting broad climate action that it may have once been. "

Dix also pointed to government efforts to build up renewable energy projects with the potential to cut emissions and grow the economy. 

"We have to build," Dix said. "We have to build the clean economy of the future. We have to give people options. This cannot just be an issue of what people have to sacrifice. We have to engage together to give ourselves options to build the clean economy that will fuel wealth creation — because we need, and must have, more wealth in our province to share. But we will also address our fundamental responsibility and need for a clean economy, for environmental reasons."

Dix also pointed to the provincial output-based system and the review of CleanBC as part of government efforts to address climate change.