SaskEnergy bills acquired by True North show a Canadian grain retailer in Saskatchewan was charged $10,267.71 in federal carbon taxes for a $46,382.23 energy bill.
The unnamed company is involved in trading various grains including corn, canola and wheat throughout Canada and has operations in various provinces.
The documents were obtained from an employee of the company who wished to remain anonymous. The individual told True North that he wasn’t trying to be political and only wished to shed light on the exorbitant sum and pointing out how the money could go to paying employee salaries instead.
Saskatchewan has a federally imposed carbon tax after refusing to implement its own carbon pricing scheme. Along with Alberta and Ontario, Saskatchewan is involved in a Supreme Court constitutional challenge of the tax.
Recently, the federal government announced that it will be reducing the number of rebates Saskatchewan residents would receive on their tax returns. Saskatchewan was hardest hit by the reduction, while Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario also saw reductions.
Recent documents obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter show that the Liberal government misled Canadians when they said they would not raise the carbon tax past its $50 a tonne cap in 2022. According to internal memos from the Department of the Environment, the federal government was considering an increase of the carbon tax as far back as February 2017.
Documents from the Department of Employment also project that the government could see a revenue of $5.7 billion from the carbon tax by 2023.
