Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young believes the federal government has realized its carbon tax is too high. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change recently eased their proposed tax on company emissions from 70 per cent to 80 per cent.
“They realize that even within the country of Canada that the imposition of their carbon pricing and carbon taxes is starting to hurt industries and it’s showing up.” Young says. “They have pulled back a bit too and I think as we move forward we will see some more changes on that.”
Companies that go over the limit will be taxed $20 per tonne starting in 2019 and rising by $10 each year to $50 per tonne in 2022.
Saskatchewan launched a constitutional challenge against the carbon price in April. Young says getting rid of it will mean fewer problems for Canadians and the economy.
“We have consistently said no to a carbon tax in our province because we know it would hurt jobs, people’s pocketbooks, the industry in our province and the economy.”
Young argues taxing people is not the way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, she endorses Saskatchewan’s Prairie Resilience Plan moving forward.
“The plan recognizes work that has already been done in our province to reduce greenhouse gas emissions both in the industry and in our farming operations.”