CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation applauds the Alberta government for using its first bill to scrap the carbon tax.

“The Alberta government is standing up for taxpayers by scrapping the carbon tax as Bill 1,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF’s Alberta Director. "This tax was never voted on, never received public buy-in and hammered Alberta families and businesses during tough economic times. It's good to see this government scrap the tax that should have never been imposed in the first place."

The CTF led the opposition against the carbon tax, having fought the tax since it was first announced in 2015.

The government collected $1.3 billion from the carbon tax in 2018 by increasing the cost of gasoline, diesel and natural gas by 6.7 cents per litre, 8 cents per litre and $1.5 per gigajoule respectively.

In 2022, Albertans will be forced to pay an extra 11.1 cents per litre for gasoline, under the federal government’s requirements. The federal carbon tax has been applied unevenly across the country with Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador receiving better deals. The United Conservatives promised to fight the federal carbon tax during the election campaign.

“Albertans will save billions of dollars without a carbon tax,” said Terrazzano. “Along with scrapping the provincial tax, taxpayers are counting on our government to take on Trudeau’s tax which will unfairly punish us for fueling our cars, growing our economy and heating our homes during cold winter months.”