Achi news desk-
The premier’s visit to the province this week brought federal policies and politics to the fore in the Saskatchewan legislature.
Justin Trudeau met with the media in Saskatoon on Monday, and told reporters that the people of Saskatchewan would continue to receive their full carbon refunds despite the Saskatchewan government’s decision not to send a carbon tax on home heating.
Trudeau was also the subject of an attack ad against the provincial NDP from the Saskatchewan Party that was sent out as a robotex to Saskatchewan cell phone owners on Tuesday.
The video ad begins with the text “the NDP is Trudeau’s choice for Saskatchewan.” The ad uses footage from Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck’s trip to Ottawa last week. He claims Beck attended a meeting to plan a strategy to get Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh re-elected.
A composite image is shown of the three leaders sitting at a table with a blue background. Each met individually with the Canadian Labor Congress but were not in the room together.
The CLC held a meeting last week to “discuss how they will promote workers’ rights.” The CLC news release is titled “Labor representatives discuss election strategy and union momentum.”
Premier Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party have taken that and turned it into a political talking point and an advertisement.
In question period on Tuesday, Moe responded to an affordability question from Beck and said the federal carbon tax is a problem.
“Makes me wonder why that leader and members of that caucus answered the call to arms to attend the Trudeau campaign school to keep that individual in place who is going to continue to increase the affordability challenges Saskatchewan and Canadian families face today, well into the future,” said Moe.
Advertisements meant to attract attention: Beck
When asked by reporters about the ad, Beck said, “I grew up on a farm, I know a little BS when I see it.”
Beck said the ads were meant to “distract” issues in health care, education and the economy.
“I’m proud of the meetings we had,” Beck said Monday. “We were in Ottawa talking about jobs, the economy.”
Beck said she did not meet with Trudeau but did meet with federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. She said she expressed her opposition to the federal consumer carbon tax.
“The consumer carbon tax is simply not on for us. The carve-out around heating fuel was unfair.”
WATCH | Sask. residents to keep a carbon refund:
Saskatchewan residents will continue to receive carbon tax rebates from the federal government, despite the fact that the province has not sent the money it collects for home heating taxes to Ottawa.
Feds, Sask. different in terms of carbon tax collection results
The “carve out” Beck is referring to is the exemption on heating oil that the federal government applied last year that mainly affects Atlantic Canadians.
The policy choice angered the Saskatchewan government and leaders in other provinces who called it unfair.
However, Saskatchewan took the issue further by not collecting a carbon tax on home heating through SaskEnegry in January. He then successfully applied to the Canada Revenue Agency to become the natural gas administrator and distributor in the province
LISTEN | CBC Political Panel discusses Trudeau carbon rebate decision and Sask. Party ads
Morning Edition – Sask13:07Political Panel – April 26
The premier says he will not punish the people of Saskatchewan for the actions of our provincial government. We heard this week that we will be getting the full amount of our carbon tax refunds, even though the province is not forwarding all the tax we owe. Our political panel is in.
Following that decision, the province announced it would no longer send carbon levy owed to the federal government ($172 million in 2022).
That decision caused a reaction from federal cabinet ministers. Federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault called it “immoral” and “irresponsible” and said it was against the law.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said people in the province “would no longer be getting the refund.”
Wilkinson said the provincial government’s position is “virtually unknown” in Canada. He would later say the refunds could be cut and said there would be “consequences.”
‘Good luck’ arguing with CRA: Trudeau
On Tuesday, Trudeau said the refund of people in Saskatchewan who pay the carbon tax would not be touched.
“Premier Moe has decided that he does not want to pay the money he is owed to CRA. We will not punish the people of Saskatchewan or in any jurisdiction for that matter. “
The following day, he was asked about the repercussions of the Saskatchewan decision.
“I don’t know about you, but having an argument with CRA about not wanting to pay your taxes is not a situation I want anyone to be in. Good luck with that, Premier Moe,” Trudeau said in Oakville, Ont. . on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, SaskEnergy Minister Dustin Duncan said he “doesn’t feel concerned” about the results.
Duncan said proposed legislation in the federal budget suggests the federal government cannot easily collect money owed by not paying the carbon levy.
“There is some language that talks about ensuring that the minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency can share information with other government ministries or departments. My reading of that would be that maybe they didn’t have the ability they think they have, but we’ll wait and see. We haven’t seen the legislation yet.”
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