New Northwest Territories Premier Wants Blanket Carbon Tax Exemption

The new premier of the Northwest Territories is requesting the federal government provide the territory with a blanket exemption from the carbon tax, arguing that the higher cost of living is undermining the effectiveness of the tax. “Here in the Northwest Territories, the cost of living is high. The cost of fuel, home heating, of power, they have always been high,” R.J. Simpson said on Dec. 10 on an episode of Rosemary Barton Live. “We get the impetus for this, but the fact is it doesn’t work for the Northwest Territories.” Mr. Simpson, who was selected by MLAs to be the new premier following the Northwest Territories’ general election on Nov. 14, said the carbon tax is not a proper incentive for people in the territory to switch to green energy and technologies due to its lack of infrastructure, non-connectivity to southern power grids, and climate ill-suited for heat pumps....