Sask. NDP letter calls for carbon tax rebate for grain drying

Taking a page out of the premier’s recent playbook, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili is sending a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for a fast rebate for farmers hit with carbon tax bills for grain drying.

Wet and cold conditions have hit many producers in Saskatchewan hard, with many having to dry their crops after they take them off the field. Many use natural gas to dry their grain and are getting hit with huge bills, including hundreds of dollars for the carbon tax.

During Question Period on Wednesday, Meili asked Premier Scott Moe to co-sign the letter — a suggestion the premier shot down by saying that if Meili wanted someone to co-sign the letter, then he should ask the federal NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, who supports the carbon tax.

Meili, speaking to media later, responded by saying that Singh isn’t the premier of Saskatchewan, Moe is.

Meili said he’s disappointed by Moe’s response.

“This, to me, is a very simple ask that we should be able to work across the aisle and request this from the federal government on behalf of farmers. I’m really disappointed that the premier chose to continue to put politics before people when it comes to this issue,” said Meili.

Speaking after Question Period, Moe said he’s actually pleased that Meili has changed his position.

“He has come around after three years, really, to the position of the government of this province that a carbon tax is ineffective, it shouldn’t be charged, not only on our farmers, on our belief it shouldn’t be charged on anyone in the province … (Meili) has come part-way to the government’s position, so maybe in another three years he’ll come the rest,” said Moe.

Meili doesn’t agree that he changed his position, saying the NDP has had a consistent message — that they don’t like the federal backstop carbon tax, and that Saskatchewan should have its own plan made here in the province. Meili said that lack of a plan has led to this situation affecting Saskatchewan farmers.

Moe brought up his own letters to the prime minister and his government’s requests for a one-year moratorium on the carbon tax. Meili said that moratorium would be fine, but no one seems to be listening when the premier is floating these ideas.

“(Moe) can continue all those other requests and all those other fights, but to ask for this practical, immediate measure seems like an obvious thing for a premier to do if he’s working for Saskatchewan people,” said Meili.

Meili called the letter a simple signal to farmers that the provincial government will work for them, and that it would be an opportunity for the federal government to show concern for what’s going on on the ground here.

If Meili’s letter were to work, Moe would accept.

“We will take what we can get as far as reducing the cost on Saskatchewan farmers and Saskatchewan industries,” said Moe, who then repeated that he won’t be co-signing a letter with the leader of the opposition.