EDMONTON, AB: With both U.S. presidential candidates committed to not bringing in a carbon tax, both the NDP and federal Liberal governments need to scrap their plans for their heavy-handed carbon tax, the Wildrose Official Opposition said.
Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said that with the U.S. becoming Alberta’s top competitor, a carbon tax forced on Alberta will lead to further job loss and carbon leakage to south of the border and beyond.
“Not only will the NDP and Trudeau carbon tax make life more difficult for families, but it will now put our energy sector at a significant competitive disadvantage with the United States – our number one competitor in the global market,” Jean said. “Alberta has an opportunity to be part of the global solution by encouraging the development of technology that heavier emitting nations can implement instead of implementing a risky carbon tax policy that will only shift emissions to the U.S. and countries with much less stringent environmental regulations.”
The NDP government’s carbon tax is scheduled to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2017. When fully implemented, it will cost the typical Alberta household $1,000 per year. The Trudeau carbon tax will increase costs even further by 2021.
With every level of government introducing new taxes and regulations, Wildrose Shadow Energy Minister Leela Aheer said it’s critical we start focusing on protecting our economy and getting Albertans back to work.
“Alberta is the most environmentally responsible energy producer in the world. Let’s continue to build on that record, but let’s not put our province in a position where investment could flee to more competitive jurisdictions south of the border,” Aheer said. “Working families want all levels of government to be on their side and defend their interests. Sadly, we are headed in a direction where they’ll only see higher taxes and less opportunity to succeed.”