Alberta’s NDP Premier Rachel Notley spent $65,000 on focus groups in an attempt to convince Albertans of the benefits of a carbon tax.
Alberta’s NDP Premier Rachel Notley spent $65,000 on focus groups in an attempt to convince Albertans of the benefits of a carbon tax, according to government records originally obtained by Sheila Gunn Reid through a Rebel Media freedom of information request.
Throughout her term as leader, Alberta’s premier referred to the province’s “social license” which would aid in the building of a pipeline.
Social license theory can be loosely explained as good faith measures meant to convince pipeline opponents and the population of the province’s environmental responsibility. The carbon tax was meant to be one of them.
The results of the taxpayer funded focus groups proved that most Albertans didn’t agree with tax and feared that it might damage their reputation.
Those involved also disagreed with Notley’s “social license” claims that the tax would help with getting pipelines approved.
It seems that Alberta’s premier spent a whole lot of money for a whole lot of nothing.
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