Liberal Delays Causing Investor Uncertainty and Impacting Job Growth

June 16th, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON – Today, Official Opposition Deputy Critic for Workforce, Employment and Labour and Member of Parliament for Foothills, John Barlow, and Lakeland MP and Deputy Critic for Natural Resources, Shannon Stubbs, expressed their disappointment with the Liberal government’s delays on critical decisions, while they continue to push a job killing carbon tax.

Alberta lost another 24,000 jobs in May, increasing the unemployment rate to 7.9%; the highest it has been in 20 years. Now, when the industry needs support, while people are losing their jobs and businesses are failing, the Liberal government’s solution is to introduce a carbon tax.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna has said “it is time for the Conservatives to get with the program,” but Conservatives do not support initiatives that hurt businesses and Canadian families. We certainly will not rubber stamp programs that have not even been introduced, just to placate Liberal Ministers.

“It seems like every decision that the Liberal government makes is costing Albertans their jobs,” said MP Barlow. “Now is not the time to raise taxes on Canadian families and job creating businesses. In provinces which have already imposed carbon taxes, this will be a tax on a tax, imposing even more of a burden on families and businesses. We need the Liberals to start making decisions on critical infrastructure projects and defending Canada’s world-renowned regulatory regime, which will spark investor confidence in our energy sector.”

MP Stubbs added, “While the Liberal government dreams up ways to impose new taxes, Conservatives will continue to fight to keep taxes low for all hardworking Canadians. The Liberal government needs to explain why, at this time of economic uncertainty and high unemployment; they think it is the time to impose a carbon tax – a tax which increases the cost of everything – on Canadians.”

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For additional information and media inquiries, please contact:
John Barlow
Member of Parliament for Foothills
Deputy Critic, Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, (PH) 613-995-8471 (E) john.barlow@parl.gc.ca