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MP: Carbon tax a big concern of residents

EAST CENTRAL — As local MP Kelly Block visited communities in the area to touch base with her constituents, she said one of their biggest concerns is the carbon tax.
Kelly Block
Local MP Kelly Block, left, speaks to a constituent during her visit to Lake Lenore March 15. The Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek MP visited towns around Humboldt that day as part of a spring tour she did across her riding. Photo by Devan C. Tasa

EAST CENTRAL — As local MP Kelly Block visited communities in the area to touch base with her constituents, she said one of their biggest concerns is the carbon tax.

“That’s been coming up not only at these meetings, but I’m getting lots of calls in my office,” the Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek MP said.

The MP was in Bruno, Muenster, Annaheim and Lake Lenore March 15 as part of a five-day spring tour across her riding.

Block added that interest in the carbon tax has been spurred by the upcoming implementation of the federally imposed tax on April 1, as well as the revelation that agricultural producers, who are supposed to be exempt from the tax for farm fuels, will have to pay it at card locks.

“The carbon tax is simply a tax grab,” Block said. “In Saskatchewan, driving is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.”

The MP said the tax won’t have the impact on greenhouse gas emissions the federal Liberal government believes it will have.

“When you understand that the current government has built into the plan exempting many of the largest emitters, that is something that doesn’t make sense to us if the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Block said the Conservatives will repeal the carbon tax if the party forms a government in the upcoming federal election on Oct. 21. “If we were to form government, that’s one of the first things we will do,” she said.

They would also remove the GST on home heating fuels.

“We’ve been clear that we don’t believe that’s a luxury and so we don’t believe that the GST should be charged on it.”

As for an alternative climate change plan, Block said that was something her party was still working on.

 

Canola exports

China’s ban on Canadian canola imports from Richardson International was also a major concern.

Block said her party tried to have the federal foreign minister to come to either the House of Commons’ agriculture committee or foreign affairs committee to explain what their plan for dealing with the situation, something the majority Liberals blocked.

The MP added later in an email to the Humboldt Journal that the prime minister needs to take action to resolve the dispute, starting by appointing a new ambassador to replace John McCallum, who was asked to resign in January.

 

SNC-Lavalin

The SNC-Lavalin matter was another concern raised by constituents, Block said.

Block said the Conservatives, as well as the New Democrats, believe there’s more testimony former attorney general Judy Wilson-Raybould could provide that would bring new revelations.

“I really believe that we need to hear from Judy Wilson-Raybould again,” Block said.

As for preventing a similar event in the future, Block said her party is talking about separating the partisan justice minister role from the apolitical attorney general role, something that is done in the United Kingdom.

“I think that we need to protect our judiciary, we need to be able to stand on the rule of law.”

 

Infrastructure

Items like the state of highways, water treatment facilities and other local infrastructure were also brought up as a concern.

Block said the federal government infrastructure plan has been ineffective.

“I would say that we have been very clear that we don’t believe that they’ve been funding infrastructure to the level that they said they would, that it’s been slow getting out.”