By Roger White

Ritz says agriculture will suffer with new carbon tax

Jun 1, 2017 | 5:00 PM

Battlefords-Lloydminster M.P. Gerry Ritz is adding his voice to those staunchly opposed to the Government of Canada’s new carbon tax plan, saying it will hurt people the most who can afford it the least.

The government introduced its new 26-page plan on how it would deliver its federal carbon tax on May 17, which includes taxes on gasoline and carbon dioxide emissions.

“No one else in the world has a carbon tax right now,” Ritz argued. “Australia had one for a few years but then saw their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) drop significantly they actually pulled it.”

The document shows the Liberal will impose an 11-cent per litre gasoline tax by 2022 and a $10 per tonne tax on carbon dioxide emissions in 2018, which will increase to $50 a tonne by 2022.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Ritz added. “When our largest and closest trading partner [United States] isn’t imposing these kinds of taxes you can see this will hurt our economy.”

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Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is also vehemently against the idea saying such a tax would hurt Saskatchewan’s main industry of agriculture and Ritz agrees.

“Agriculture is already facing incredible challenges,” Ritz said. “There will now be increased costs to fossil fuels and fertilizers plus everything else farmers use.”

Meanwhile, a recently released federal memo prepared for the Minister of Natural Resources says Ottawa’s plan to force a carbon tax on provinces will hit Saskatchewan and Alberta particularly hard because the two provinces have “the greatest proportion of exporting industries that will pay more for carbon emissions.”

“Our government has been clear about the negative impacts a carbon tax would have on our province and its people,” added Scott Moe, MLA for Rosthern-Shellbrook and the Minister of Environment for the province. “We have said it all along those producers in the agricultural, mining and energy sectors will face steep cost hikes making Saskatchewan less competitive and it seems Ottawa’s policy-makers agree as this memo makes that clear.”

The memo goes on to warn that carbon pricing alone cannot achieve the emissions targets set out by the federal government and that additional mitigation measures and regulations will need to be coordinated.

“Ottawa has tried to pass their carbon tax off as a benign measure that will slash emissions and have no unintended consequences for people and the economy. This isn’t true,” Moe said. “What we’re saying to Ottawa is allow the provinces to make their own climate plans that achieve real reductions in emissions like our climate white paper in 2016 that outlines Saskatchewan’s plan to do just that.”

Saskatchewan’s Climate White Paper highlights Saskatchewan’s commitment to achieving real reductions in carbon emissions by employing innovative and technological solutions.  It includes employing new technology like carbon capture and reaffirms the commitment by utilities like SaskPower to work towards 50 per cent renewable power by 2030 – faster than other provinces.

battlefordsNOW requested an interview with Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay, but no one from his office responded by the time of publication.

roger.white@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW