Alberta premier tells HoC committee planned carbon price increase is ‘inhumane’

During a virtual appearance before federal MP’s, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had sharp words for an incoming federal carbon tax hike. This isn’t just reckless, it’s immoral and it’s inhumane. And the added pressure will ruin countless lives, futures and dreams. The premier, along with their New Brunswick and Saskatchewan counterparts, appeared before the House of Commons operations committee on April 1st. The carbon price will increase from $65 per ton to 80. Smith says it’s unfair that home heating oil users get exemptions. There were only 12,000 Albertans on home heating fuels, so it’s quite clear that it’s not going to benefit our region, it’s going to be benefiting other regions. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the average Alberta household will get more than $2000 in Canada carbon rebates this year. But when you factor in what you pay, plus other economic impacts, the average Albertan is out $911.00. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says that’s too much. The carbon tax is at nearly every level of the economy. Like we were explaining, it’s the farmers growing the food itself, it’s the truckers bringing the food to the grocery store, It’s the grocery store itself. The same day the federal hike adds roughly 3 cents to gas prices, Smith’s government will reinstate the provincial tax that adds 4 cents per liter. If affordability is really an issue, why is it that the that the provincial government can’t give Albertans a break? The Prime Minister feels premiers mislead Canadians about the federal tax for narrow political gain, and I’m going to continue to call them out and remind them that if they really don’t like our approach to pricing pollution. They can develop their own approach. As for what Smith accomplished through her Thursday appearance, she believes MPs now know more about what provinces are doing already to produce emissions, citing carbon capture projects and hydrogen initiatives. They have a notion that that emissions reduction can only happen one way, and I think this is the reason why the why the premiers wanted to come forward Morgan Black Global News.