OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has launched a petition calling on the Yukon government to scrap its plans for a carbon tax.
Yukon premier Sandy Silver said last year that he plans on working with the federal government to bring in a carbon tax in Yukon, and has said details won’t be available until this fall.
“Yukoners who oppose the carbon tax are not alone in this fight,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “Canadians from coast to coast to coast are actively opposing Prime Minister Trudeau’s carbon tax. We started this petition to give Yukoners one way to stand up and be heard.”
Several provinces are pushing back against the federal government’s carbon tax imposition. Manitoba premier Brian Pallister said he will challenge the legality of an Ottawa-imposed carbon tax. Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall has stated his government plans to take legal action against the federal carbon tax.
An Angus-Reid poll released in early July showed popular support for the carbon tax across the provinces is declining as the costs become more clear.
In May, a federal official said carbon tax exemptions are on the table for Yukon. Despite this, the Yukon government is pushing forward with carbon tax plans.
“The carbon tax will clearly hurt Yukoners more than most,” said CTF Alberta Director Paige MacPherson, who debated the carbon tax at a Yukon Chamber of Commerce event in Whitehorse in November. “Driving and heating your home aren’t optional in Yukon. They’re necessities of life and Yukon taxpayers shouldn’t be punished for that.”
The CTF has estimated that the federal government’s planned $50/tonne carbon tax could cost the average Canadian family up to $2,500 per year.
“Under the carbon tax, shipping food and clothing up the highway will cost more, meaning higher prices and potential job cuts,” said MacPherson. “Industrial operations and mining sites will find it harder to compete. Airplane fuel costs will hurt tourism. Even schools and hospitals will be hard hit by higher heating and transportation costs. Taxpayers will be forced to foot those bills.”
Yukoners opposed to the carbon tax can sign the petition at: http://taxpayer.com/yukon
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