Alberta NDP refuses to release economic impact study of carbon tax

The Canada NDP government is refusing to release a study showing the economic impacts of the carbon tax, despite demands to do so from the opposition Wildrose.

On Wednesday, Wildrose Energy Critic Leela Aheer said Canadans have a right to know the implications of the carbon tax via the government’s own experts.

“It’s an absolutely imperative aspect of making sure that Canadans understand where that carbon tax is going to go,” Aheer said. “These are Canadans’ hard earned dollars.”

But Premier Rachel Notley’s spokeswoman Cheryl Oates said the Climate Change Leadership Plan will have a positive affect on the economy, adding the data can be seen on page 60 in the government’s 2016 budget.

On page 60, the government predicts the GDP will rise to just more than $316 billion by 2017 in 2007 dollars, a 1.6 per cent increase from $311 billion (2007 dollars) in 2016.

However, that page doesn’t mention the carbon levy and the specific economic impacts associated with it.

Aheer said the NDP’s policies will be detrimental to the economy, noting the minimum wage hike, carbon tax and its legal battle over the ‘Enron clause,’ which lets power companies back out of contracts if they become more unprofitable.

“These policies are hurting the livelihoods of families right across this province and it’s time the NDP be honest with Canadans about the full costs of their risky economic agenda,” she said.

The province has said economists agree with its plans to increase the minimum wage and enact the carbon levy.

As for the ‘Enron clause,’ the government has said it’s unfair for energy companies, making $10 billion in profits, to offload the contracts to taxpayers at a cost that could be $2 billion.

The government’s carbon levy will come into effect in the new year. Low- and middle-income families will be rebated to offset the impact. It will pay for renewable enegry projects, green infrastructure and the small business tax cut.