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FEATURE
“People in our industry want to do these
things. We want to do our part,” Short said.
“But this carbon tax is deterring us from doing
these things because we don’t have the
cash to do it.”
* * *
The federal carbon tax on fuel was applied
to Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick
and Manitoba on April 1 as those provinces’
climate plans did not meet the federal
backstop of $20 per tonne of CO2, growing
to $50 per tonne in 2022.
The Saskatchewan government claimed
the carbon tax was unconstitutional and
took the federal government to court.
In May, the Saskatchewan Court of
Appeal ruled in a 3-2 decision that the
federal government has the constitutional
power to implement a carbon tax
in provinces that do not meet Ottawa’s
minimum price.
The Supreme Court of Canada has set a
tentative date to hear the Saskatchewan
government’s appeal of the federal carbon
tax. The court said the appeal is tentatively
scheduled for Dec. 5 in Ottawa.
Alberta also filed a challenge to the carbon
tax in its province’s Court of Appeal after
the federal government said a carbon tax
will be imposed in Alberta on Jan. 1, 2020.
Manitoba has also joined the fight.
This past year, Saskatchewanians could
claim a $300 rebate on their income
tax return.
“Instead of taxing us and claiming to
give the money back through a rebate, why
aren’t we funding for more initiatives to
clean our footprint?” Short asked. “For example,
how can we make an asphalt plant
burn cleaner?
“In our industry, we don’t have any other
options. For emissions for asphalt, there
is no other way of doing things aside from
what guys are doing now. I’m not doing
something archaic because I’m ignorant.
I’m doing what I do because that is the
technology that I have to work with that
has been given to me.
“I understand that we want to be world
leaders when it comes to (reducing harmful
emissions). I totally get that. But we’re going
about it the wrong way.”
Saskatchewan is home to the most highway
kilometres in the country, with rural living lending
itself to one of the province’s most reliable
and productive commodities – agriculture.
Short falls into that demographic. He
farms near Southey, approximately 40
“For emissions for asphalt, there are no
other ways of doing things aside from
what guys are doing now. I’m not doing
something archaic because I’m ignorant.
I’m doing what I do because that is the
technology that I have to work with.”
– Jonas Short
419B - 50th Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7K 6K1
(306) 934-3533 | saskatoon@vector-construction.com
Vector-construction.com
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