A truck convoy estimated to have nearly 800 vehicles stormed into Saskatchewan’s capital to protest the federal government’s newly implemented national carbon tax.
The event was the effort of seven individuals and was planned three weeks in advance.
A $20/tonne federal carbon tax went into effect this month for Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Manitoba. The tax is expected to reach $50/tonne by the year 2030.
Currently several of the provinces are challenging the tax in federal court as “unconstitutional” and a trampling of provincial rights.
Saskatchewan Premier, Scott Moe, has joined his fellow compatriots Ontario’s Doug Ford and New Brunswick’s Blaine Higgs in speaking out against the Trudeau government’s environmental policy.
According to a study conducted by the University of Regina, the carbon tax has the potential to cripple Saskatchewan’s GDP by approximately $16 billion without a significant impact or improvement to Canada’s carbon emissions.
“The federal government has significantly underestimated the economic impact of its carbon tax and overestimated the expected Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions,” said Environment Minister Dustin Duncan.
“This new and more thorough model indicates GDP reductions in the billions, which translates to less competitive industries in Saskatchewan and fewer jobs across the province. This is exactly why our government has never supported the tax and is challenging it in court.”
Participants in the convoy called for the carbon tax to scrapped, were supportive of pipeline development and a revitalization of Canada’s oil industry.
