The Official Opposition Saskatchewan Caucus sent a letter to Finance Minister Bill Morneau calling for a full exemption from the carbon tax for all farming fuels and an immediate cancellation of the increased tax.
Jeremy Patzer, the Conservative MP for Cypress Hills-Grasslands, says it’s a complete lack of concern for farmers.
“We’ve been saying this right from day one, our producers have been saying this from day one, all of our commodity groups have all been saying right from day one that this carbon tax specifically targets, agriculture and targets our producers. It creates a situation where we are at an unfair disadvantage when we're looking at the markets around the world, who aren't charging a carbon tax, and they aren't putting these punitive measures on their producers and their agriculture industrys.”
The letter goes on to state that at a time when 1.5 million Canadians are out of work and seeking employment insurance the last thing they need is to worry about an increase in their cost of living.
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Here is the official press release....
Official Opposition Saskatchewan Caucus Calls on Morneau to Halt Carbon Tax Increase and Exempt Farmers
The Official Opposition Saskatchewan Caucus sent a letter to Finance Minister Bill Morneau today calling for a full exemption from the carbon tax for all farming fuels and an immediate cancellation of tomorrow’s scheduled increase of the tax.
In their letter, the Saskatchewan Conservative Team stressed the importance of protecting our national food supply and ensuring that farmers are being supported: “Never in recent memory has the preservation of our food supply been so crucially important. The government must be focused on ensuring the continuity and sustainability of our food supply. If farmers continue to face increasing burdens, we fear that there will be serious consequences.”
They also expressed concern about the impact that an increased carbon tax will have on the energy industry, small and medium-sized businesses, and families: “The oil and gas sectors here in Saskatchewan are struggling as oil prices reach new lows.” the caucus wrote. “Industry needs support, not a higher carbon tax. This tax increase threatens to put energy producers and their employees in jeopardy.”
“Further, as is the case across the country, small and medium sized businesses in Saskatchewan are facing never before seen challenges. While we support efforts by the government to assist businesses through measures such as the new wage subsidy, we are concerned that an increase in the carbon tax will lessen the impact that these measures may have. A rise in the cost of doing business while businesses are facing significantly reduced revenues will only make the situation worse for many businesses.”
“Individuals are also struggling. At a time when more than 1.5 million Canadians are out of work and seeking employment insurance, the last thing they need is to worry about an increase in their cost of living. Here in Saskatchewan that is being felt by farmers, workers from all sectors, and their families.”
The Saskatchewan Official Opposition Team of Members of Parliament and Senators calls on the Trudeau government to “immediately provide a full exemption from the carbon tax for all farming fuels and an immediate halt to the increase of the tax.”
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