Report from the Legislature – February 2, 2017

Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sales are leading the nation.  Despite ongoing world commodity price challenges, this sector and our economy is showing signs of strength.

According to Statistics Canada, manufacturing sales were $1.2 billion in November, up 12.2% (seasonally adjusted) over last year, and nearly six times the national average.

The challenges we have faced with lower resource prices has had an impact on the labour market and other sectors, but forecasts and other signs show our economy will rebound this year.

We need to maintain our competitive advantage in Saskatchewan.

Right now, our competitiveness is being threatened by the Prime Minister’s insistence on imposing an ill-conceived national carbon tax plan on the province of Saskatchewan.

We need to protect the people and sectors that are being targeted by the carbon tax.

Twelve organizations representing thousands of Saskatchewan farmers, small businesses and employees have united against the federal government’s plan to force a carbon tax on our province.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, they express concern that his carbon tax plan will hurt our economy and put the incomes and livelihoods of Saskatchewan families at stake.

They’re right – and we stand with them in fighting this tax on our people and economy.

In a recent vote in the Legislature, the NDP refused to support our government’s position, proving how badly out of touch they are with the vast majority of Saskatchewan people.

Like their Alberta counterparts, the Saskatchewan NDP support a carbon tax.

They support a new tax that will impact your household budget and make our agriculture, mining and energy sectors less competitive globally while doing nothing to reduce global emissions.

When asked about this, the Prime Minister says that all of the carbon tax cash his government collects will be returned to the provinces and could simply be given back to those who paid it.

So, what is the point of this bureaucratic merry-go-round?  Good question.

The Prime Minister says that it’s up to Saskatchewan to determine how best to help the businesses and families hurt by his new tax – and we’ve already figured that out.

Don’t impose a carbon tax in the first place.

Make no mistake, Saskatchewan wants to contribute to this country economically and in every way, including the fight against climate change, but we will defend our interests.

Saskatchewan’s White Paper on Climate Change outlines an alternative approach to the Prime Minister’s national carbon tax plan.

You can learn more at Saskatchewan.ca/climate-plan.