Albertans are no further ahead thanks to carbon tax

I have now received my first city utilities bill and Direct Energy bill since the carbon tax was implemented. For the past couple of years both these bills average about the same every month and I don’t get any surprises. This month I sure did. My city utilities bill (which includes my electricity) was up $60 and my Direct Energy bill was up $30.

I must assume this is because of the carbon tax. Of course, there is nothing on the bill that is indicated in straightforward print that I have indeed been charged a certain amount for carbon tax. Otherwise though nothing in my household has changed. So, this now means an extra $90 per month that I will be paying. That is yet to include all the other things that I will end up paying more for once businesses and companies raise their prices to accommodate this increase in their bills.

What I find extremely ironic about this whole thing is the minimum wage increase. The NDP gave their compassionate speech about the lower middle class not being able to make ends meet, therefore they were going to increase their wages. Then after doing so, they increase the cost of monthly bills by bringing in the carbon tax. So, no one is any further ahead. They may be making more, but they are also now paying more. And the NDP’s little rebate cheque they sent out isn’t going to come close to covering the increase for families.

Businesses will get a double whammy from both increases. They will be paying their employees more and paying more to operate the business. Their costs go up so then do their prices which is then passed on to the consumer. The minimum wage increase is nothing but a joke and the amount of the carbon tax is completely ludicrous.

This isn’t rocket science but just good old common sense. But I guess having common sense isn’t a prerequisite to become a politician.

Lori Mathus

Lethbridge