If you thought the federally-forced carbon tax was bad before, it keeps getting worse.
The federal Liberals announced its plans Friday to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
That actually should be a good thing. We’re all in favour of cleaner air and a healthier environment and reasonable actions to create a healthier planet.
The word reasonable shouldn’t be used to describe their plans.
The carbon tax, which has been a source of frustration for Saskatchewan residents since it was ramrodded on this province in 2019, is going to increase, from $30 a tonne to $170 a tonne. If you thought the first year of the carbon tax was bad news, it’s only going to get worse.
If you thought industries vital to this province were getting hit hard, the impact will only get worse.
Will the feds continue to roll out carbon tax rebates to all of us in a feeble attempt to offset much of the cost of living increases we see, not only at the fuel pumps, but anything else connected to an industry that will be affected by a carbon tax increase? (Supporters of carbon taxes often fail to realize how many industries are affected, and they fail to grasp the trickle-down effect).
Will those rebates keep pace with the increases in the carbon tax? Or will this result in more middle class families falling behind with their bills?
And if the rebates do keep pace, doesn’t it make this feel like a damn vote grab?
The carbon tax is not good for this province. And if you support the carbon tax, then you don’t have the best interests in the province at heart on this particular issue.
It’s going to hurt our farmers. These people provide an essential service to our country. It’s going to hurt the mining sector. And it’s going to have serious consequences for the oil and gas sector.
And when mining, agriculture and the oil and gas sector suffer, so does everyone in this province, despite what some idealistic urbanites would have you believe.
Governments need to take action to address climate change. They need to move now. But there’s a right way to go about this, and the wrong way.
The right way is through investment. Invest in technology and human ingenuity and innovation. Invest in further deployment in carbon capture and storage technology. Perhaps Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself should come out here, tour the Boundary Dam CCS facility, view the technology, and see how it’s actually working. It’s likely going to capture at least 700,000 tonnes of CO2 this year, which will be used for enhanced oil recovery.
(And yes, you can consider that an invitation to the PM to come out here, once we have a return to somewhat normalcy).
You want to talk about a project that works for both the economy and the environment, while showcasing ingenuity and technological innovation? The CCS facility does just that. And we have two more units out here that could make good use of it.
It’s time for the feds to take a look at what Saskatchewan farmers are doing to make their operations more sustainable while still being a financial success.
Once this whole COVID-19 mess is cleared up, perhaps it’s time for our prime minister to spend more time in rural areas, learn about the sustainability practices that exist, and find out how investment in these processes would be the way to go.
And it’s time for Trudeau to see just how much carbon taxes are hurting all Canadians somewhere down the line.
When a carbon tax chases a business out of our country, we all lose.
It’s time to think beyond just higher taxes.
We live in a country that is blessed with natural resources. And we live in a province with an incredible wealth of resources, the technology to capitalize on them, and the people with the know-how to make it happen.
We should be the envy of the world for so many reasons, including our resources.
So let’s invest in them, make them more environmentally friendly, and create a better world.
