B.C. government approves bill to end its carbon tax on consumers

British Columbians are waking to a future without a consumer carbon tax for the first time in 17 years, after the late-night approval of a bill to end the long-standing policy.

The NDP government fast-tracked legislation to kill off the tax on Monday, in time to coincide with today's demise of the federal version of the tax.

B.C. became the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce a broad-based carbon tax in 2008.

Premier David Eby says it played an important role for many years, but it became a "toxic" issue as a result of campaigns by the B.C. and federal Conservative parties.

Eby says he expects gas prices to fall by about 17 cents a litre today as the impact of the tax's repeal kicks in.

He says the province's utilities commission has the authority to uncover price gouging and British Columbians expect the price difference to show up at the pumps.