Latest news with #Output-BasedPerformanceStandards
CBC
29-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sask. Premier Scott Moe says federal election results an opportunity to 'reset' relationship with Ottawa
Social Sharing Premier Scott Moe said Tuesday that the results of Monday's federal election provide an opportunity to "hit the reset button" on the relationship between the federal government and the province of Saskatchewan. Prime Minister Mark Carney is projected to form government. On Tuesday morning, Moe congratulated Carney on the victory and said the province has ideas on how Canada can move forward. "I would take this opportunity to invite Prime Minister Carney to a meeting here in Saskatchewan, where we'd love to host him to chart a productive path forward for our province within the nation of Canada," Moe said. Moe said he wants the federal government "to engage and consult" with Saskatchewan on legislation and policies. WATCH| 'He still cheers for the Oilers': Scott Moe sees 'path forward' with Carney 'He still cheers for the Oilers': Scott Moe sees 'path forward' with Carney 2 hours ago Duration 1:57 The premier pointed to the federal price on carbon, clean electricity regulations and the glacial pace of infrastructure projects as examples of decisions made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau where Saskatchewan was not consulted. Moe said Carney's comments on wanting to work with western provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta are great to hear, as is the prime minister's desire to make the country a global energy superpower. However, those are nothing but words, Moe said. "Policies truly do matter, in particular in this space, and so some of the government's policies, the federal government's policies, they quite simply are going to need to change in order for Canada to achieve that goal," Moe said. Moe stopped short of repeating his call for the federal government to not impose the federal backstop on the industrial carbon tax. Moe's government eliminated the provincial Output-Based Performance Standards program, which taxes large industrial emitters, at the start of this month. "If our true goal is to achieve lower emissions, I think we can sit down and and talk our way through how over the next decade, decade and a half, we're going to significantly lower emissions at a much lower cost point than maybe just a one-size fits all policy across the nation," Moe said. The premier also called for Carney to create a plan to respond to China's tariffs on canola and figure out how to navigate the trade war with the United States. New Liberal MP from Saskatchewan Thirteen of the province's 14 federal ridings are projected to elect Conservative MPs. The only exception to the sea of blue in Saskatchewan was the riding of Desnethe-Missinipi-Churchill River, in which Buckley Belanger is projected to become the first Liberal MP elected in Saskatchewan since 2015. Moe congratulated Belanger, a former Saskatchewan NDP MLA, on his win. Moe described Belanger's success and the collapse of NDP support across the country as proof of "the takeover of the NDP party by the Liberals." The premier said he believes Belanger can effectively bring a voice from the province to the federal government caucus. Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck agreed with that sentiment. "[Belanger is] someone who cares passionately about his community. I don't think there's there's any doubt of that," Beck said on Tuesday. Beck called on the federal parties to work together and produce results. Many of Beck's desires for the federal government were similar to Moe's. They included: Major infrastructure investments. Swift action on the canola tariffs from China. She also called for a "fair deal" on equalization and a renewed commitment to the $10-a-day child-care program. "I think people in this country are are incredibly frustrated by seeing bickering and not seeing action," Beck said. FSIN and Regina mayor weigh in The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan, also congratulated Carney on his win. FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron said he is looking for "transformative action, not just words." Cameron said nations are facing "crises" in child and family services, the opioids epidemic, policing, homelessness, safe drinking water, missing Indigenous women, girls, men and two-spirit people, and threats to inherent and treaty rights. "The critical areas must be addressed immediately," Cameron said in a statement, announcing he wants to meet with Carney and key cabinet ministers as soon as possible. Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski also offered his congratulations to Carney. Bachynski said he hopes municipal funding for infrastructure and housing will be prioritized. "Regina remains ready to collaborate with all levels of government to ensure a bright future for our residents," Bachynski said in a statement. Alienation not separatism Moe declined to describe the results of Monday's election as a potential flashpoint for western separatism. Instead, he described the support for Conservatives as a reflection of "alienation" in Saskatchewan. Moe said Saskatchewan residents just want to be treated fairly. "I certainly haven't lost faith in this nation and it is my true hope that the prime minister and his government, his Liberal government, has not lost faith in in Saskatchewan people either, but we will find out soon," Moe said.
CBC
01-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Saskatchewan is now carbon tax free, but some wonder the cost
Saskatchewan industrial carbon pricing system is set to end Tuesday, but the province has so far been unable to provide a clear answer on the financial consequences of the decision. Saskatchewan's system is known as the Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) program and taxes large industrial emitters. NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon says the $12-million surplus projected in the province's 2025-2026 budget is now gone and the document "isn't worth the paper it was printed on." In its 2025-2026 budget, the province projected $431 million in revenue from its OBPS program. With that program paused, the state of the province's finances are unclear. "Twelve minus 432 does not equal balance," Wotherspoon said on Monday. End of the industrial carbon tax Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is touting Tuesday as " Carbon Tax Freedom Day." While all of Canada is marking the end of the federal price on consumer carbon on April 1, Saskatchewan made the additional decision to end its industrial carbon pricing on the same date. "The people of the province, our governments have been very vocal from the start, being opposed to the carbon tax. So we were thrilled to have the opportunity to do what we did last week," Saskatchewan Finance Minister Jim Reiter said on Monday. Moe and the Saskatchewan Party have been quick to share statements from organizations celebrating the end of the OBPS program. Daryl Fransoo, the chair of the Wheat Growers Association, described farmers as the backbone of the province's economy and said they have been hit hard by trade disruptions and tariffs. "This decision puts money back into farmers pockets," Fransoo said. Other organizations like the Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association, Mosaic Canada, the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities have also released statements endorsing the decision. WATCH| Sask. Premier Scott Moe to pause industrial carbon tax: Sask. Premier Scott Moe to pause industrial carbon tax 5 days ago Duration 3:10 The decision has not come without criticism. Brett Dolter, an associate professor of economics at the University of Regina, told CBC News last week that the decision eliminates two of the three pillars central to the 2017 Saskatchewan climate change strategy, entitled Prairie Resilience. With the end of the industrial carbon emissions tax and the decision to extend the lives of its coal-fired power plants, moving away from clean electricity goals, Dolter said the province is steering away from reducing its emissions. The province's decision also doesn't end the ability for the federal government to implement its own industrial carbon pricing or "backstop." Financial impact Since Moe announced the policy change last week, no one from the government has been able to provide a clear answer on the financial impacts of the decision. Moe refused to provide a yes or no answer when asked whether the move puts Saskatchewan in a deficit. Reiter also wouldn't provide a yes or no response. "The fact is that on any given day commodity prices rise and and fall. It all has an impact on the budget. So we're not going to rewrite the budget every time something like that happens," Reiter said. Reiter stuck to his answer when it was pointed out that he was describing market factors and not a decision made by the provincial government. Wotherspoon said the lack of clarity is infuriating. "Whether or not he's just incompetent or he's not being honest with Saskatchewan people, he has to know that what he's presented to Saskatchewan people is not only nonsense, but also that it fails to step up to the challenges that they face," Wotherspoon said.
CBC
28-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Saskatchewan's vow to axe industrial carbon tax tests climate targets during federal election
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's promise to eliminate the industrial carbon tax, and move away from the province's own climate plans, opens the door to a potential federal election issue. Late Wednesday, Moe announced the Saskatchewan government would eliminate its provincial industrial carbon tax, known as the Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) program, on April 1. Implementing the change alongside the federal government's plan to cut the consumer carbon tax the same day, Moe said Saskatchewan would be a carbon-tax free province. If removed, the federal government could impose a federal industrial carbon tax in its place, something University of Alberta economics and law Prof. Andrew Leach does not expect the 'caretaker' government in place for the election to do. During an election period, a convention of the government functions in its place until a new government is sworn in or an incumbent is re-elected. Leach said the federal government has the jurisdiction to impose carbon pricing, but it's a political decision. "There's almost no chance that the federal government is going to do that now," he told CBC's Alexander Quon. "That would probably go, I would think, beyond your caretaker convention during a federal election; but, more importantly, I don't think that Mr. Carney's going to want to shift the ballot question to that right now." Ditching industrial tax is abandoning climate goals: economist Brett Dolter, an associate professor of economics at the University of Regina, sees Saskatchewan's divergence from the industrial carbon tax as knocking down the second of three pillars in the province's climate change plan. In December 2017, Saskatchewan launched its climate change strategy, entitled Prairie Resilience. For Dolter, there are three main pillars to that plan: methane capture, its industrial carbon emissions tax and cleaner electricity production. By cutting the tax, one is knocked down. Dolter also sees another tumbling. Earlier this year, the Saskatchewan government directed SaskPower to create a plan for power generation that could include extending the lives of its coal-fired power plants. That's among the issues affecting its electricity goals, he said. Without the emissions tax, operating those power plants would be a lot more affordable, Dolter said. He said running coal power plants is going to steer the province away from its goal of reducing its emission production from its electricity generation by 40 per cent. "It's starting to look like Prairie Resilience is more like prairie obstinance. We're just getting climate policy out of the picture here in Saskatchewan," he said.
CBC
27-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Saskatchewan government to eliminate industrial carbon tax on April 1
Premier Scott Moe is pausing Saskatchewan's industrial carbon tax. The decision targets the carbon tax rate under the Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) program, which taxes large industrial emitters. The pause will go into effect on April 1. "We have always stood from day one against this tax," said Premier Scott Moe on Thursday. "We don't think it is in any way an environmental tax, but ultimately is preventing investment and enhancing the inflationary costs that we are experiencing as Canadians." The province said the pause will save families and businesses in the province hundreds of dollars a year. On March 14, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the separate consumer carbon tax will also be eliminated on April 1. The two policy changes will make Saskatchewan the first province in Canada to fully remove any carbon tax, the province's statement said. The tax pause will complicate the Saskatchewan government's budget projections. In its latest provincial budget, the government projected a $12-million surplus, but that included an estimated $431 million in revenue generated by the OBPS program. "We're gonna have those details in the days ahead," Moe said Thursday when asked at a news conference whether the decision will put the province in a deficit. WATCH | Sask. Premier Scott Moe to pause industrial carbon tax: Sask. Premier Scott Moe to pause industrial carbon tax 22 minutes ago Duration 3:10 On why consultations on the budget impact didn't happen before the announcement, Moe said his government is "taking our cue from the federal leaders as they start to back up on this policy." In a statement, Saskatchewan Opposition NDP leader Carla Beck approved of the removal, but criticized the budget impacts. "We need to make sure our province isn't left behind at a time when we're facing tariffs and chaos in the global economy," she said.
CBC
27-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sask. Premier Scott Moe to pause industrial carbon tax
Premier Scott Moe is pausing Saskatchewan's industrial carbon tax. The decision targets the carbon tax rate under the Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) program, which taxes large industrial emitters. The pause will go into effect on April 1.
