Sask. Party's carbon tax 'slush fund' doing nothing to help families: Provincial NDP
The NDP opposition are calling on the Sask. Party to use its provincial “carbon tax” on electricity to help out Saskatchewan families as affordability issues continue to be debated inside the Legislature.
During question period on Tuesday, NDP MLA and Jobs and Economy Critic Aleana Young questioned why the Sask. Party is not using their Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS), which the NDP calls a provincial carbon tax on electricity, to make life affordable or make power generation more efficient.
The OBPS program came into effect in January 2023 to replace the federally imposed carbon tax on industrial emitters.
“This year’s budget includes $280 million in OBPS carbon tax revenue from Sask. combined with the money from last year,” she said. “That means there’ll be $568 million of taxpayer money set aside in their small modular reactor fund.”
“All of this pads the Sask. Party budget while doing nothing to help families.”
Minister of Crown Investments Corporations Dustin Duncan said the province has negotiated with the federal government to receive the money collected by SaskPower through their customers to send the money from Ottawa back to Saskatchewan.
“That’s going to go towards ensuring that we have a clean electricity grant to SaskPower to help keep rates low and affordable for residents as well as set aside money that’s going to go into a small modular reactor fund in the event that we do decide to embark upon building an SMR in Saskatchewan,” he explained.
“So we really have a choice. The choice is to either have those dollars here in Saskatchewan or allow those dollars to be sent to Ottawa and continue to be spent and decided upon by the liberal NDP coalition.”
Young said without the OBPS carbon tax revenue, the government would be in debt by $554 million. Instead of keeping the money in a fund, Young said it should be used to help address affordability for families.
“Saskatchewan families are struggling and the Sask. Party is choosing to pay hundreds of millions of ratepayer dollars to pad their budget instead of using this money to help families struggling with the cost of living,” she said. “These dollars could go to keeping rates low, they could go to cost of living relief, they could go to rebates for households, literally anything else but a slush fund for this government.”
“Why is the Sask. Party choosing to sit on their own carbon tax dollars instead of deploying them now to help with the cost of living?”
Duncan replied by saying that there will always be over $100 million going towards a SaskPower grant to help keep rates affordable. He reiterated that their carbon tax revenue is staying in Saskatchewan, not Ottawa.
“The alternative is to have those dollars continue to be sent to Ottawa and allow the liberal NDP coalition to choose how those dollars collected by Saskatchewan residents paid for by Saskatchewan residents be chosen how to spend,” he said.
Young said the situation is all a “bit rich.”
“The Sask. Party government rails day in and day out against the federal carbon tax on one hand, while on the other hand, they’re hoarding their own Sask. Party OBPS carbon tax dollars in a slush fund.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft has landed on the moon’s far side to collect rocks in a growing space rivalry with U.S.