Carbon Tax Increase, Lloydminster Mayor Sounds Off

Welcome to Municipal Affairs, I’m your host Christopher Brown

This episode is a follow-up segment to our previous episode from March around the pending carbon tax increase scheduled for April 1st.

We sat down with Mayor Gerald Aalbers of Lloydminster at the 2024 SUMA Convention in Regina, Saskatchewan to get his reaction on this increase and what it means for residents and municipalities like his.

In our last conversation, Mayor Aalbers urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to halt any further escalation of the carbon tax. This increase elevated the price of carbon from $65 to $80 per tonne, with subsequent yearly increments until 2030, culminating in a $170 per tonne levy.

Mayor Aalbers articulated the critical need for municipalities to have sufficient time to assess the impact of such increases on local service provision. As municipalities are on the front lines of service delivery, the ramifications of escalating carbon taxes extend well beyond environmental concerns, directly affecting essential services that communities rely on daily.

Today, we revisit this vital issue with Mayor Aalbers to gain further insights.

As a reminder for our global audience, the carbon tax was initially introduced by the Liberal Government at $20 per tonne in 2019 and has incrementally risen since then. While Alberta and Saskatchewan, including Lloydminster, are among the provinces and territories subject to this tax, provinces such as British Columbia, Quebec, and the Northwest Territories have implemented their own carbon pricing mechanisms.

In light of these developments, we delve deeper into how the April 1st increase will impact municipalities, drawing invaluable perspectives from Mayor Aalbers. Stay tuned as we continue our exploration of this ongoing issue.

This is Municipal Affairs.

*************************************************** This episode of Municipal Affairs was recorded at the 2024 SUMA Convention in Regina, Saskatchewan from April 14th to 16th.

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