Moe again defends Saskatchewan’s decision to not collect, remit carbon tax

The Saskatchewan government is once again defending its stance on the federal carbon tax, including its decision to remove the tax from home heating.

Last week, Dustin Duncan — the province’s minister responsible for Crown corporations, including SaskEnergy — announced that Saskatchewan will not remit the carbon tax on natural gas used for home heating to Ottawa.

The Saskatchewan Party made the decision to stop collecting the carbon tax from residents of the province after the federal government announced it would be removing the tax on home heating oil, which is used by many families in Atlantic Canada.

Ottawa responded to Saskatchewan’s move by saying residents will no longer receive carbon rebates, even though they’re still paying the tax on other items.

Speaking Monday, Premier Scott Moe again defended the move to stop collecting the tax and said his government has only mirrored the decisions made by the federal government.

“They made a three-year hiatus on the carbon tax for home heating fuel, largely impacting Atlantic Canadians; we did a three-year hiatus on natural gas and electric heat here,” Moe said during a media event in Regina.

The federal minister of energy and natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said Saskatchewan’s move is reckless, as the law to impose a carbon levy was upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada.

“(It’s) irresponsible and almost unheard of in the history of this country,” he said. “Premiers, just like prime ministers, are responsible for passing laws, and they expect their citizens to abide by those laws. If you do not have that expectation, you have anarchy.”

Moe responded to that statement Monday by saying the federal government had made the exact same decision as Saskatchewan.

“We emulated and mirrored the decision that they made in Atlantic Canada, and so I don’t agree with it,” Moe said.

“I don’t agree that the federal government is causing anarchy by making the decision that they did to remove the carbon tax from home heating fuel and largely impacting Atlantic Canada.

“To mirror that decision in the provinces on natural gas and electric heat would be the same result, so if one causes anarchy, I would say the other one does.”

Moe said the tax was driving up costs for everyone.

“It is driving up much of the food inflation and the general inflation that we are seeing in this province; there’s proof of that,” the premier said. “As we removed this portion just from home heating fuel, it was identified that inflation dropped in the province.”

The provincial government eliminated the carbon tax on home heating on Jan. 1 of this year.