Skip to content

NDP government causing willful public harm

As most people should be aware the present provincial government has announced, it is going to pay the electricity providers.
95751pipestoneflyerPipestoneLogowebsite
Letter to the editor

Dear editor,

As most people should be aware the present provincial government has announced, it is going to pay the electricity providers.

$1.2 billion dollars (and interest charges on borrowed money) over the next few years as compensation to prematurely shut down/convert coal fired plants. This $ 1.2 billion (it will be higher with Enmax included, Epcor?), is $333 for every Albertan added to your family’s debt as well interest charges. The NDP spews the propaganda the funds will come out of the carbon tax for large emitters (industry) without any costs to Alberta taxpayers.

It is apparent that the NDP believe the taxpayers are uneducated and can’t do basic math. Any additional costs to provide services to us will be passed on to the consumers as well, so we will be paying for any carbon tax/costs to these industries. This does not include all of the hardships for the loss of jobs to the people directly working for the plants and the communities that are supported by these industries and employees.

In addition to the above it seems the average Albertans (60 per cent) of the population compensation is significantly reduced. Apparently a couple in 2018 when the full rate is implemented will have an additional $388 dollars in carbon tax costs/rebate $450 (the levy is a tax, quit lying). An average couple drives two cars, 40,000km at 10/100km, being very conservative, is $269.20, they still need to heat and power their home, pay the addition costs in food, municipalities and school taxes and 7 per cent GST and that $118.80 difference number shows how little they think of Albertans. I laugh at the foolishness of the NDP politicians, to think they even presented this lie, and there apparently are zero carbon tax program administration costs!

The budgeted $195 million to help the job displaced people works out to, for a skilled labour person, for example, $80,000 each, helping out about 2,500 people, and including help for indigenous people. They no longer have a job, yet they can not in any way touch the bloated wages of the public sector, and in fact are increasing these plum jobs costing every Albertan significantly, with average wage well above this $80,000. So we are all paying a tax, to help fire people with decent jobs that are actually contributing to the economy. I find this very distasteful.

The NDP continue to waste our hard earned money on prime time television ads, usually $10 million for each campaign. How many unemployed Albertans in the oil and service industries could have used these funds to help keep their homes, and maybe help out the food banks support these people? One per cent drop in business tax will have little if any effect on companies trying to hang on.

Where is the money in the carbon tax to help the individual get off grid, maybe it’s not there, as the government will no longer receive carbon taxes! Seniors and people on fixed incomes and low-income people do not have any additional money to support a glorified ideological program. So far the government has not in any way shown what diversified energy industry they are bringing into Alberta.

For the record, in the conversion to natural gas it will be very close to net zero difference in carbon emissions due to the leakage of methane in exploration development and delivery to users. The environmental costs for all the additional drilling involved, potentially far outweighs the so-called health care costs of these plants emissions. This fact that is continually hidden by the NDP government and Liberals, stating coal is dirty energy. Alberta coal is some of the cleanest coal types on the planet and provides a balance between cost to produce energy output and carbon emissions, and something that will produce jobs and sellable technology carbon capture has not been given any chance to come to fruition.

Note: Willful harm in the eyes of the law, is to knowingly causing harm. Willful: adj. referring to acts which are intentional, conscious, and directed toward achieving a purpose.

Robert Grier, Leduc County