e-585 (Tax system)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• The Government of Canada, through the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, unilaterally declared there will be a national carbon price, before the Premiers and Prime Minister met;
• Canadian governments already collect $17 billion dollars annually from the oil and gas industry to fund essential government programs and services;
• There is no guarantee that a national carbon tax would be revenue-neutral and earmarked for initiatives aimed at environmental stewardship and management and innovation, rather than being collected as a general revenue tool;
• A national carbon tax would make life more expensive for every Canadian, disproportionately affecting the poor by increasing already high prices on everything from gasoline for their cars to the food they put on their tables;
• Canadians are already facing challenging economic conditions;
• The energy sector is experiencing an historic downturn, and resource-dependent communities, businesses and workers are already struggling and do not need an added tax; and
• The Government of Canada should focus efforts on policy approaches that achieve real results while minimizing the economic impact on Canadians, not on increasing government revenues through additional taxation.