Whether you call it a levy, a tariff, a toll or Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation (TIER), a tax by any other name remains a tax..Lets not beat around the bush here. The TIER is simply Notley’s carbon tax rebranded. There are other regulatory changes bundled in with the legislative changes put forward by the United Conservative government this week which may or may not be good but we can’t pretend that we got rid of the provincial carbon tax on industrial producers in Alberta. “Emissions pricing” is just another word for a carbon tax. In fact, it’s the term Liberals and New Democrats use when Conservatives call it a tax..There are a few reasons for a carbon tax. Some feel that these taxes will help save the world from pending climate catastrophe (arguable). Some see it as another way for the state to confiscate wealth from enterprise or to be more generous. Some see it as another way for the government to increase revenues to reduce the deficit. The UCP’s reason for a carbon tax (sorry, TIER) is to avoid having Ottawa impose it on our behalf..But will it work?.The federal Liberal government is dominated by and beholden to climate alarmist ideologues. Trudeau’s right hand man Gerald Butts has a long history as an environmental activist as do countless other senior government appointees in the Liberal government. While in a minority position, Trudeau is now in a position where he must try to pacify the Bloc, the NDP and the Green Party if he wants to remain in power. All of those parties are determined to shut down Alberta’s energy sector..Will Alberta and its industries ever be able to self-flagellate enough to satisfy these parties and groups?.The answer is a resounding no..Already the Pembina Institute among other eco-groups are decrying the TIER program as not having gone far enough. Elizabeth May and the Green Party likewise say it doesn’t go far enough, but they acknowledge that Jason Kenney has at least brought in a (gasp) carbon tax..Now we must wait upon Ottawa to see if they feel that that this industry challenging tax will meet the standards that they feel Alberta must live up to. If Trudeau and gang feel that this is not enough, they can and will slap another tax or regulation on top of this one. The Trudeau Liberals also want to raise the carbon tax on industrial emitters to $50 per tonne by 2022. Does the UCP plan to hike their carbon tax to $50 per tonne in hopes of avoiding the federal action?.This morning Encana announced that they are pulling out of Canada. This is one of Canada’s oldest and largest energy companies. Canada’s energy sector simply can’t handle any more government imposed abuse whether through pipeline and shipping embargoes, massive regulatory burdens and ever increasing tax hikes..We need to fight for our besieged industry rather than vainly try to appease it’s attackers..Make no mistake about it, the opponents of Alberta’s energy sector want nothing less than a total shut down of our industries and they want it soon. There is no reasoning with these people..We are at a crossroads. We can choose to let the federal government destroy our industry through a legislated death of a thousand cuts or we can fight vigorously to the bitter end. Sugarcoating a carbon tax by giving it a new acronym to describe it by and hoping that it pleases the masters in Ottawa is taking the former approach..Drawing lines in the sand and jumping back from them as we appear to be doing with the promised equalization referendum is only inviting more abuse. It is telling the federal government that we are all bluster and bluff and will roll on our collective backs and expose our vulnerable belly when push comes to shove..Embracing the industry killing policies of Ottawa in hopes of pacifying their lust to shut us down won’t work. It will only further embolden the ideologues who dominate the Liberal administration. We need to fight hard, fight now and fight without apology. Nothing less will save our industry and our future as a prosperous province.
Whether you call it a levy, a tariff, a toll or Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation (TIER), a tax by any other name remains a tax..Lets not beat around the bush here. The TIER is simply Notley’s carbon tax rebranded. There are other regulatory changes bundled in with the legislative changes put forward by the United Conservative government this week which may or may not be good but we can’t pretend that we got rid of the provincial carbon tax on industrial producers in Alberta. “Emissions pricing” is just another word for a carbon tax. In fact, it’s the term Liberals and New Democrats use when Conservatives call it a tax..There are a few reasons for a carbon tax. Some feel that these taxes will help save the world from pending climate catastrophe (arguable). Some see it as another way for the state to confiscate wealth from enterprise or to be more generous. Some see it as another way for the government to increase revenues to reduce the deficit. The UCP’s reason for a carbon tax (sorry, TIER) is to avoid having Ottawa impose it on our behalf..But will it work?.The federal Liberal government is dominated by and beholden to climate alarmist ideologues. Trudeau’s right hand man Gerald Butts has a long history as an environmental activist as do countless other senior government appointees in the Liberal government. While in a minority position, Trudeau is now in a position where he must try to pacify the Bloc, the NDP and the Green Party if he wants to remain in power. All of those parties are determined to shut down Alberta’s energy sector..Will Alberta and its industries ever be able to self-flagellate enough to satisfy these parties and groups?.The answer is a resounding no..Already the Pembina Institute among other eco-groups are decrying the TIER program as not having gone far enough. Elizabeth May and the Green Party likewise say it doesn’t go far enough, but they acknowledge that Jason Kenney has at least brought in a (gasp) carbon tax..Now we must wait upon Ottawa to see if they feel that that this industry challenging tax will meet the standards that they feel Alberta must live up to. If Trudeau and gang feel that this is not enough, they can and will slap another tax or regulation on top of this one. The Trudeau Liberals also want to raise the carbon tax on industrial emitters to $50 per tonne by 2022. Does the UCP plan to hike their carbon tax to $50 per tonne in hopes of avoiding the federal action?.This morning Encana announced that they are pulling out of Canada. This is one of Canada’s oldest and largest energy companies. Canada’s energy sector simply can’t handle any more government imposed abuse whether through pipeline and shipping embargoes, massive regulatory burdens and ever increasing tax hikes..We need to fight for our besieged industry rather than vainly try to appease it’s attackers..Make no mistake about it, the opponents of Alberta’s energy sector want nothing less than a total shut down of our industries and they want it soon. There is no reasoning with these people..We are at a crossroads. We can choose to let the federal government destroy our industry through a legislated death of a thousand cuts or we can fight vigorously to the bitter end. Sugarcoating a carbon tax by giving it a new acronym to describe it by and hoping that it pleases the masters in Ottawa is taking the former approach..Drawing lines in the sand and jumping back from them as we appear to be doing with the promised equalization referendum is only inviting more abuse. It is telling the federal government that we are all bluster and bluff and will roll on our collective backs and expose our vulnerable belly when push comes to shove..Embracing the industry killing policies of Ottawa in hopes of pacifying their lust to shut us down won’t work. It will only further embolden the ideologues who dominate the Liberal administration. We need to fight hard, fight now and fight without apology. Nothing less will save our industry and our future as a prosperous province.
