Alberta Premier Danielle Smith requested the opportunity to testify virtually to the House of Commons Finance Committee (CFC) before Monday over the carbon tax. “The federal government must take immediate action by cancelling this planned increase for the sake of Albertans and all Canadians,” said Smith in a Tuesday letter to CFC Chair Peter Fonseca. “I look forward to the committee’s swift response to this request.” .Earlier this month, Smith met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to express her concerns with the increasing pressures Albertans and Canadians are facing because of crippling inflation and high interest rates. She reiterated those concerns in another letter, where she urged him to scrap the 23% carbon tax hike set for April 1. Smith said on March 13 Trudeau’s actions will determine if he listened to her concerns about the carbon tax. READ MORE: Smith says Trudeau’s action on carbon tax will be louder than words“We’ll find out in a couple of weeks whether or not he was persuaded by it,” she said. True North Alberta correspondent Rachel Emmanuel pointed out Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has called for people to protest outside Liberal MPs’ offices. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe requested Fonseca provide him with the opportunity to appear virtually before the CFC no later than Thursday to explain why the carbon tax should not be increased. “The forthcoming 23% increase to the federal carbon tax on April 1st will increase the cost of almost everything, making life less affordable for Saskatchewan people, businesses, and communities,” said Moe. “Our government’s decision to stop collecting the federal carbon tax on natural gas and electricity used for home heating led to an immediate decrease in inflation as confirmed by Statistics Canada.”.Right now, Moe said Canadians cannot afford another increase in the carbon tax. With Monday coming up, he called for Fonseca to issue a prompt response. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he wanted to testify before the CFC on the carbon tax increase to inform Parliament about its impact on the province. “With no Nova Scotian members of Parliament on your committee, I feel it is important to have the opportunity to appear and stand up for Nova Scotia,” said Houston. “I look forward to speaking to the committee.”.While the carbon tax will likely go up, Houston said Nova Scotians and Canadians do not need more taxes. He called this “a punishing tax hike on the residents of my province.”The House of Commons voted 205-119 on Wednesday against the Conservatives’ motion to scrap the carbon tax hike. READ MORE: House of Commons votes down motion on carbon tax increaseThe vote was split along party lines, with the Liberal, Bloc Quebecois, NDP, Green, and most Independent MPs voting against it. However, the Conservatives and Independent MP Kevin Vuong (Spadina-Fort York, ON) voted for it. “I declare the motion defeated,” said Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus.
