Kenney slams carbon tax during Olds speech

The provincial government's carbon tax has failed to bring us any goodwill with energy and environmental critics, United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney told an audience in Olds.

During a speech to about 40 people during a Rotary Club of Olds meeting at the Ramada Inn, Kenney described imposition of the tax as "political theatre."

"Our premier told us the carbon tax would buy us something called the social licence. I keep checking my mail; I haven't seen a social licence there yet. I don't know what it is. But it was supposed to turn pipeline opponents and energy opponents into supporters," Kenney said.

"Supposedly David Suzuki was supposed to say, ‘oh, Alberta's got a carbon tax; great, we're going to support pipelines.' He came to the teachers' union conference last week and said, ‘leave it in the ground; shut it down. No pipelines, no oilsands right now.'

"So this has bought us zero goodwill. In fact, since the carbon tax came in, the prime minister vetoed the Northern Gateway pipeline that had been approved. President Obama had vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline. The federal government had killed the Energy East pipeline by changing the regulatory rules midstream."

Kenney said the tax, hiked by 50 per cent a couple of months ago, is expected to be increased by another 67 per cent "for only one reason: the federal government asked them to."

He said the tax won't do what it's supposed to do: reduce the amount of fossil fuels Albertans use.

"It's not about the environment," Kenney said. "People might dress it up that way.

"But the advocates of carbon taxes say that for a carbon tax to significantly change consumer behaviour to achieve the Paris climate change conference targets in greenhouse gas emissions would require a price of $250 per metric ton. This carbon tax is currently going to $50 per metric ton. It is political theatre."

Kenney said the Australian and French governments repealed their carbon taxes because they found those taxes harmed their economies more than they improved the environment.

In fact, he said for that reason, "no other major government in the world is imposing a carbon tax on themselves."

"Because listen: if you're a senior on a fixed income and it's 30 below outside in Olds, you can only turn the temperature down by so much at home," he said.

"You can't drive less to work, even though our premier told people they should take the bus. Good luck with that in Olds," he added, sparking mild laughter.

"So there's only so much people can do to change your behaviour, right? Let's face some facts here: we are a big, cold, northern, spread-out energy-producing jurisdiction."

Kenney reiterated earlier arguments that cutting greenhouse gases in Canada will have little effect on climate because China is such a huge emitter of greenhouse gases.

"Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions are 1.5 per cent of worldwide emissions. China's annual growth in emissions is equivalent to the total annual output of Canada. You could shut down our entire economy tomorrow and China would make up for that just next year," he said.

Kenney said he wasn't trying to attack Premier and New Democratic Party Leader Rachel Notley, who brought in the tax.

"I believe our premier and the people in her political party – the premier in particular I think – is a thoughtful, committed person who's doing her best," he said. "I always say the New Democrats are good people, I just happen to think their policies have consequences."