Opinion: Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe must stand firm against carbon taxes. No other oil-producing nation imposes an industrial carbon tax, according to Cenovus Energy CEO Jon McKenzie. That means the tax "incents industry to invest outside of Canada."
By Gage Haubrich and Kris Sims
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is the last man standing. He is the only premier refusing to give his blessing to Ottawa's costly industrial carbon tax. The Alberta government's latest agreement with Ottawa shows he needs to keep standing firm.
Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in Calgary that Alberta's industrial carbon tax will be six-and-a-half times more expensive by 2040 because of the new agreement signed between Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. That is a bad deal for Alberta taxpayers. The industrial carbon tax applies to nearly everything and makes life more expensive and businesses less competitive.
The carbon tax hits fuel refineries, making gasoline and diesel cost more at the pumps. The carbon tax also hits utility companies and electricity generation, making home heating and electricity more expensive. That means next January, keeping pipes from freezing and lights on in Alberta will cost more, thanks to this industrial carbon tax from Ottawa.
No other oil-producing nation imposes an industrial carbon tax, according to Cenovus Energy CEO Jon McKenzie. The United States does not impose a national carbon tax. In fact, more than 70 percent of countries around the world do not have a national carbon tax.
Smith signed the deal because the federal government said in exchange for a more costly carbon tax on Albertans, Ottawa will consider approving a pipeline to the coast in the future. However, there are no guarantees. To date, no private company has offered to spend its own money to build a pipeline from Alberta to the coast.
Saskatchewanians be warned: Carney is likely coming for Saskatchewan next. Moe recently said that the Saskatchewan government will start talks with Ottawa to find a "workable place" on charging Saskatchewanians an industrial carbon tax again. There is no "workable place" for taxpayers who will be paying the increased cost of any industrial carbon tax imposed on the province.
In Saskatchewan, the industrial carbon tax would affect fertilizer plants, increasing costs for farmers and making food more expensive. It would also hit the mining industry, costing people money and their jobs. However, all that can be stopped if Moe stands firm against Carney and his carbon tax. Saskatchewan has already been carbon tax-free for more than a year. The Saskatchewan government scrapped its industrial carbon tax on April 1, 2025. When removing the tax, Moe said that Saskatchewan is "taking the lead on the removal of this harmful tax."
