Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, just to start, yes, I mean I'm sad to hear that there's this crisis in trust. I happen to be the same Minister that goes through the budget negotiations twice a year every year. So, and I actually as much as that process gets stressful at times, Madam Chair, we are a consensus government. We always somehow manage to come together. We always somehow manage to find pathways forward, even when there are large divides between us at times. Madam Chair, I just -- I guess I haven't seen any reason to think that the consensus system doesn't apply to absolutely everything else that we do, whether it's motions on legislation, whether it's recommendations in reports, it's still a consensus government and no dollar is going to pass this House unless we come to those agreements in the big picture. And bills don't pass this House unless there's agreements on the big picture, much like Bill 60. So I keep trying to come back to Bill 60. I'm not trying to narrow it, you know, inappropriately. I'm trying to just make clear for the public that this is just about raising the amounts to comply so that we can continue to go and do the things we had been doing, which was to ensure we have an industry to have jobs and to provide dollars back into the hands of residents so that they aren't unnecessarily impacted. I don't have the math, if you will, or the evidentiary basis for the $2.2 million ask that's being put forward. Madam Chair, I do have, however, records of total utility costs paid by communities. So in looking at the total utilities paid by communities, we are able to calculate what the impact of the carbon tax increase would be. That's where the 5 percent comes from, just so everyone is clear. It is approximately $940,000. And that seemed to make sense as a number. But, again, it is a consensus government and we want to try to be responsive. And so yes, we are certainly trying to be alive to the fact that everyone is facing some pressure on this bill, that there are going to be increases in costs. We've tried to account for the indirect costs. But, yes, Madam Chair, I do have ability to increase what we're proposing would be the sharing of revenues on this. I think it's appropriate to get into those details maybe with committee, not in this process but in others, and I would be happy to do so prior to the bill potentially coming forward. Thank you.
Caroline Wawzonek on Committee Motion 375-19(2): Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Community Compensation for Increased Carbon Tax, Carried
In the Legislative Assembly on March 8th, 2023. See this statement in context.
Committee Motion 375-19(2): Committee Report 45-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act - Community Compensation for Increased Carbon Tax, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 8th, 2023
Page 5779
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