It's too soon for a carbon tax, says P.E.I. Opposition

The Progressive Conservatives on P.E.I. are calling on the provincial government to fight against federal plans to implement a carbon tax.

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P.E.I.'s environment minister said in February he would not commit to establishing a carbon tax for the Island, for now.

But Island's official Opposition is worried the government is ready to go along with it.

"To me this is a tax. It's because they're broke," said PC MLA Steven Myers.

"They don't care about the environment. If they did they'd already have initiatives that Islanders could take advantage of."

'Give us the goods first'

Myers argues it is too soon to be implementing a carbon tax. He said the province first needs to provide Islanders with more options for reducing their carbon footprint.

"Once Islanders have been able to move to more fuel-efficient vehicles; once Islanders have a more efficient way to heat their homes; once Islanders have been able to take advantage of things like solar and wind energy for their own homes, then come back and say we need a way to keep this equitable on the financial front," he said.

"Give us the goods first and then bring in a carbon tax."

Myers expressed particular concern for rural Islanders. He noted that while urban dwellers can choose to bicycle to work, and people in the Charlottetown area can take a bus, those options aren't available in rural areas.

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