Rally organizer says higher electricity and fuel costs will hurt the processing industry and entire economy
Those concerned about the Alberta government’s Climate Leadership Implementation Act want the legislation put to a referendum before it takes effect .
Rallies were held in 11 Alberta locations Nov. 5 where participants could sign their names to petitions asking the NDP government to delay the planned Jan. 1, 2017, implementation of the act until Albertans can vote on it.
About 300 people attended the Lethbridge rally, and events were also held in Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Hanna, Red Deer, Airdrie, Camrose, Brooks and Drayton Valley.
Dale Snow, who farms south of Lethbridge, was among the speakers who said the act, dubbed the carbon tax, will increase costs.
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“It’s going to affect our inputs. It’s going to affect any transportation, which would include anything that we use, anything that we sell. It will increase consumer costs.
“My biggest concern is what is it going to do to all of these plants that process our beef, our potatoes, our corn, our vegetables? I think it’s going to put them so far out of the competition that they’ll move.”
Southern Alberta is home to two large beef processing plants, several potato plants, a sugar factory, canola crushers and other agricultural and food processors.
“You look at Cargill, JBS, they have got millions of cubic feet of refrigerated storage. If the cost of that electricity goes double or triple? They’re in it to make money. They’re huge. If that plant’s unprofitable, shut ‘er down.
“I think that’s what our government is failing to realize, is that businesses actually have to turn a profit. People are in business to make money and it seems like that is just totally going over their heads because of government ideology.”
Davey Wiggers, a member of the Alberta-wide rally organizing group, said about 50 people put together the Nov. 5 event and the carbon tax became a focus.
“Simply put, the government persists in telling everyone that most Albertans support a carbon tax. The facts just don’t hold this out,” Wiggers said.
“Those that are aware of what this is going to do, what a carbon tax will do to this economy, are vocally opposed. The rest unfortunately aren’t informed and the reason they’re uninformed is simply, there’s been no time. Before there was a chance to really understand what was going on, we had a bill passed.”
The government act includes a $20 per tonne carbon levy, with proceeds invested in programs to reduce carbon output. A system of rebates will see about 66 percent of households receive full or partial rebates on the levy, according to the government.
Since passing the act, it has also announced $10 million in funds to expand programs designed to help farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on energy bills.
Marked farm fuel is exempt from the tax. However, farmers including Snow have expressed concern about the effect a levy could have on input costs.
Paul Hinman, former Wildrose Party leader, called the legislation draconian and hypocritical before addressing those at the Lethbridge rally.
“If someone doesn’t want to use carbon, I have all the respect in the world for it. But chances are they have no comprehension of whether their food, their clothing, their car, their house is warm, the insulation, whatever, comes from carbon. And we just are being continually fed propaganda that to me is not correct or in the interests of our people.”
Wiggers said the Nov. 5 rallies were the kickoff to encourage Albertans to sign the petition requesting a referendum. A news release about the rallies said the goal is to secure up to one million signatures.
