Premier Moe talks carbon tax in Yorkton

Premier Scott Moe ran through the Saskatchewan Party’s greatest hits of arguments against a federal carbon tax during his speech in Yorkton last week.

“Saskatchewan should not be subjet to this tax,” he said. “It simply doesn’t work.”

Moe was the featured guest speaker at the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Jun. 15 at St. Mary’s Cultural Centre.

Moe briefly touched on population growth and Canadian politics, but his main focus was the carbon tax (a levy on fossil fuel use designed to reduce Canada’s carbon emissions).

Moe and the Sask Party have been staunch opponents to the proposed tax for months. They have brought Saskatchewan to country-wide headlines, positioning the province as one of the biggest proponents of alternatives to carbon taxing. Moe has delivered countless lectures against the tax. While Moe’s speech on Friday touched on points he’s made at other events, he’s glad he could see Yorkton’s people face to face.

“I think it’s important for all government leaders to [get to] communities like Yorkton... to ensure we’re doing right by the people of the province,” he said.

Greg Ottenbreit, MLA for Yorkton, attended the luncheon. He agreed with Moe that government members need to interact with their constituents, especially when discussing big policies.

“It’s very important for [people] to hear what the Premier has to say when it comes to his plans, as it would impact business and citizens,” he said.

During his speech, Moe argued that the carbon tax has yet to make an appreciable impact in any jurisdiction. He said such a tax could only really make a difference if it was the norm across the world. Moe warned that a Canada-wide carbon tax would just make the country uncompetitive in the global market.

“A carbon tax is seductive to some [but] it has real-life consequences for families and businesses,” he said.

Moe described Saskatchewan’s alternative to the carbon tax: The Prairie Resilience plan. The proposed program focuses on carbon sequestration (removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) and encouraging sustainable harvesting.

“Our agriculture industry has such a great story to tell when it comes to environmental stewardship,” he said. “Our Saskatchewan farmers continue to affordably and sustainably put food on the plates of people around the world.”

On the same day as Moe’s speech, Ontario Premier-elect Doug Ford vowed to fight the carbon tax. Moe, who has spoken with Ford, thinks the Ontarian’s comments add nuance to the ongoing debate.

“I think it’s a positive impact to the conversation that we are having here in this nation, and how wrong it is,” Moe said.

Moe took time during his speech to promise to balance the budget for next year.

“Few jurisdictions can say that,” he said.

Recently, Saskatchewan’s population grew to 1.17 million people. Moe said job creation is the key to that growth.

“It comes about by increasing the opportunity for jobs in our communities, and nowhere is that more notable than in the community of Yorkton, where we have a strong and vibrant value-added agri-food industry,” he said.

Moe closed his speech by encouraging the audience to think outside the box when it comes to the carbon tax.

“There’s a different path,” he said. “We should take it and we should take it now.”