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.

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

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

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