Grande Prairie—Mackenzie MP Chris Warkentin is demanding the federal government stop its planned carbon tax increase slated to go into effect April 1st.
“Peace Country residents cannot afford to pay more taxes during this crisis,” Warkentin says
“Small businesses, farmers, workers, and contractors are all feeling extreme strain and this tax will put more hardworking locals out of work.”
In February, the Alberta Appeal Court ruled the federal carbon tax unconstitutional. The appeals court decision called the federally imposed carbon tax a ‘constitutional trojan horse’, adding it created very few theoretical limits on the federal government’s power.
Warkentin says with the current economic influx, adding higher taxes would be salt in the wound of thousands in the Grande Prairie region.
“An increased carbon tax from the Trudeau government will only make life more expensive at a time when uncertainty is at an all-time high and family incomes are dropping,” he says.
“We are seeing revenue dry up for small businesses, forcing them to reduce their operations and lay off employees. On a daily basis, I hear from workers, contractors, and business owners in the Peace Country about how this current crisis has devastated their livelihood,” he adds.
The federal carbon tax rises to $30 a tonne on Wednesday and will be raised $10 a tonne annually until capping at $50 a tonne in 2022.
