Taxpayers group says federal carbon tax weighs heavy on Canadians

“Stop hammering struggling Saskatchewan families and workers,” said Robin Speer, Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s prairie director.

It was a plea to the federal government for change on its carbon tax.

“Join with other world leaders and reduce the painful tax increases at the pump,” said Speer.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation hopes more people will come forward and speak out against the carbon tax.

Families in Saskatchewan are feeling the weight of rising prices.

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Michelle Scheller is a licensed insolvency trustee who believes the tax only creates added pressure on people already struggling to make their payments.

“Saskatchewan and Manitoba residences are suffering more than other provinces,” said Scheller. “I don’t know specifically the reason but that is the reality.”

According to Scheller, three in ten people in Saskatchewan are having to cut back on essentials like food in order to pay their bills. It’s a reality that Scheller said is only going to become worse.

“We’ve had another interest rate hike so consumers are feeling it tighter,” said Scheller. “What that means, as well with variable rate mortgages, is those costs are going to go up, those monthly expenses, where they are already living paycheque to paycheque.”

The federal government disagrees with critics over the carbon tax. Environmental Minister Steven Guilbeault said the following:

“Pollution pricing is recognized around the world as the most efficient policy to reduce emissions as it imposes the lowest overall cost on the economy. An organization that claims to represent taxpayers should understand the economics. Critics choose to ignore both stimulus impact on the green economy and the massive costs that climate change and its severe weather impacts are already imposing on Canadian communities.”

Guilbeault also shared that rebates are to be given four times a year and he said the Parlimentary Budget Officer did an analysis to confirm that the majority of households will receive more in payments than they face in direct costs.