The federal government says it still plans to give out $2.5-billion in long-promised carbon-price rebates to small and medium-sized businesses, after suggesting last week that some of those funds would be moved to other programs.
Instead, funding for small businesses would only be reduced starting April 1, 2024, which is when the increase to the rural top-up kicks in, said Katherine Cuplinskas, spokesperson forfor the increased costs they bear through the federal carbon price. But little of that funding has so far been spent: An early rebate program failed to deliver much money to businesses, and a redesigned program has not yet launched.