Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think my question is for the Premier. A lot of people are involved in activities where they consume petroleum products in the North that have nothing to do with using our roads and yet there is a road tax component on gasoline and diesel. I am thinking along the same vein as the folks involved in agriculture who need petroleum products, and people involved in the commercial fishing industry. I don’t know why fuel for their vessels should be contributing to a road tax. Also, harvesters that are involved in traditional hunting and trapping activities are all paying a tax. Their activities would be more sustainable if their costs of doing business would be lowered. Why can’t we, as a government, come up with a way of not creating a cumbersome administration on trying to decipher at the point of sale what is going to be used for what purpose, but why can’t we come up with a receipt program just like you would when you file your income tax and if you own a small business, where you are allowed to submit receipts for a rebate based on certain activities? Why couldn’t we come up with something like that to alleviate the cost of living on some of these activities that have nothing to do with roads? Thank you.
Jane Groenewegen on Question 85-16(1): Gas Tax Rebate For Non-Transportation Industries
In the Legislative Assembly on November 30th, 2007. See this statement in context.
Question 85-16(1): Gas Tax Rebate For Non-Transportation Industries
Item 7: Oral Questions
November 29th, 2007
See context to find out what was said next.