Green Party promises ‘robot tax’ on companies that replace workers with machines

VANCOUVER — The Green Party is proposing a “robot tax.”

Green Leader Elizabeth May says that every time a company replaces a worker with a machine, a Green government would make that company pay a tax equivalent to the income tax paid by that laid-off employee.

May says Canada is fast becoming a world leader in artificial intelligence, but the needs of workers must be at the forefront of policy discussions.

She says the revenue from a “robot tax” would be used to fund educational and retraining programs for workers.

3:16 Federal Election 2019: ‘This party has never called for more military spending’: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

• Federal Election 2019: ‘This party has never called for more military spending’: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May
• Federal Election 2019: May insists all parties in federal internal cabinet contribute to climate action plans
• Federal Election 2019: ‘Civilization will collapse’ if climate action not taken, May says
• Federal Election 2019: May says climate change crisis is ‘all hands on deck’

Previous Video

Next Video

May says technology and computer science can be industries that, when using renewable energy, are environmentally friendly.

The Greens also want to see legislation brought in to govern ethical, environmental, social and economic implications of widespread use of AI.

WATCH: How realistic is the Green Party’s fiscal plan?

1:29 How realistic is the Green Party’s fiscal plan?