The Community
Press Telling your story
Volume 112, Issue 27
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
$1 Including GST
Single-vehicle rollover west of Forestburg sends one to hospital
JOE HARTUNG PHOTO
A single-vehicle rollover on Highway 53 west of Forestburg on Monday, Jan 6 sent a 28-year-old Red Deer man to hospital in Camrose with minor injuries. Members of the Forestburg Fire Department attended the scene and directed traffic. RCMP say no criminal investigation will be done.
Federal Carbon tax kicks in for Albertans Leslie Cholowsky Editor
While Alberta eliminated its carbon tax at the end of May 2019, as of Jan. 1, Albertans will be subject to a federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act; a charge on fossil fuels at a rate of $20 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, with that cost set to rise to $30 per tonne in April. According to a federal fuel charge rate chart, the “nominal” increased cost for gasoline will be $0.06.63 per litre; and for natural gas 5.87 cents per cubic metre. Alberta is currently challenging the federal carbon tax at the Alberta Court of Appeal, and is supporting Saskatchewan and Ontario in legal efforts to repeal the tax in those provinces. Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer released a statement at the end of December, saying: “Tomorrow Ottawa imposes its carbon tax on our province, forcing Albertans to pay more to fill their tanks and heat their homes. “And since so much of what Albertans use in modern day life is delivered by diesel-powered trucks and trains, the cost of essential items such as groceries and clothing will rise as well. “At the same time, the cost of doing
business will increase at one of the worst possible times for our province. “Economic analysis of the former Alberta government’s carbon tax showed that upwards of 16,000 fewer jobs would be created every year due to the carbon tax.” The federal plan provides some relief to farmers for fuel used in tractors, trucks, and other farm machinery without a need to register, with a strict definition of “eligible farming machinery.” The National Farmers Union is presently calling for a rebate on fuel used for on-farm grain drying, sending a letter to the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, asking for the same fuel extension to be applied to natural gas and propane. “Obviously propane was overlooked when fuel exemptions were addressed,” said NFU Board member Doug Scott of Waskatanau, Alberta. “Drying grain has become a significant cost for prairie grain farmers and propane is the main fuel used for drying grain.” “It is absurd for the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to offer an exemption that seems to encourage farmers to use diesel-fired burners for grain drying, while penalizing those who use cleaner-
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burning natural gas or propane,” said Kyle Korneychuk who farms at Pelly, Saskatchewan. “We believe this is an oversight that can be corrected by setting up a rebate as soon as possible.” Albertans will be eligible to receive Climate Action Incentive Payments for 2020, of $444 for a single adult, or the first adult in a couple, $222 for the second adult in a couple (Single parents will receive this amount for their first child,) and $111 for each child in the family (starting with the second child for single parents.) The federal government estimates that the average Alberta household will receive $880. An additional amount will be available, called a supplementary Climate Action Incentive Amount, for people who live in small and rural communities “in recognition of their increased energy needs and reduced access to energy-efficient transportation options, equal to an additional 10 per cent of the payment amount to which they are entitled. The purpose of the Climate Action Incentive Payments, according to the federal government, is to encourage lower greenhouse gas emissions without imposing a financial burden on households. “Most households in Alberta will receive more in Climate Action Incentive
payments than they incur in total costs resulting from pollution pricing, says the federal government. The payments are scheduled to increase as the cost per tonne increases, in April 2020, 2021, and 2022. The federal government has also announced its intention to provide relief for municipalities, universities, schools and colleges, hospitals, non-profits, and indigenous communities by returning a portion of the proceeds collected from these groups. Small and medium sized businesses will also be eligible to benefit from Climate Action Incentive Payments, according to the federal government. Schweitzer says, “At the same time, we are pursuing innovation to combat emissions with our made-in-Alberta Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) plan. Emissions per barrel of oil in Alberta are already down 30 per cent since 2000 and are on track to fall another 20 per cent by 2030. TIER will further this important work. “Albertans rightly recognize that the global challenge of climate change will not be addressed through taxes on getting to work and heating their homes, but instead through technological advancement.” Funded by the Government of Canada