Internal documents reveal Yukon gov't analyzing carbon tax models

The NDP is accusing Yukon premier Darrell Pasloski of talking out both sides of his mouth when it comes to a carbon tax.

The New Democrats claim that while Pasloski says he's dead against a carbon tax — and always has been — his government has been quietly analysing different carbon tax models.

As proof, the NDP offered up documents obtained through an Access to Information request, in which the party requested "any internal analysis or report done on the impact of a carbon pricing mechanism or a carbon tax."

"It's not the first time that this premier has played around the edges of the truth," said NDP leader Liz Hanson. "The Yukon cabinet has discussed the carbon pricing issues as recently as February."

Over 100 pages of documents were withheld, with the government citing sections of the ATIPP Act which protect information that comes from cabinet level briefings as well as information that could, "reasonably be expected to harm the financial or economic interests of...the government, or [its] ability to manage the economy."

Hanson said Pasloski is spreading fear about how a carbon tax would affect the price of goods in the Yukon.

But she noted that he has already agreed to adopt some form of carbon tax — and she said Pasloksi cannot have it both ways. 

"All premiers agreed at the Vancouver meeting and Canada agreed in Paris that we will be moving to a carbon neutral economy by 2050. So carbon pricing is part of that and for the premier to suggest otherwise, he's playing with words."

The CBC reached out to the Yukon government on Wednesday but nobody was available to comment.

'Show us the numbers'

NDP Environment critic, Kate White, criticized the Yukon Party for its secrecy. 

"The carbon tax debate is far too important for the Yukon Party to hold back government numbers on carbon pricing. If the research is being done, and they're looking towards the future, this is a conversation that should be opened up to Yukoners," White said.

White added if the tax is as harmful as the Yukon Party maintains it will be, the public has a right to know that, too. 

"They say it's going to negatively impact people, and if that's the case, they should show us the numbers. They should show us the proof."    

White said the government officials, who are analysing a carbon tax, are only doing their job. 

"What we see is the difference between public politics and private planning," White noted. "So you can have the government saying 'no way, no how' and within the public service, you have people saying, 'you know what, we have a responsibility and we are a world partner, so what does this mean for us?"" 

"If they've got nothing to hide, because they believe they're on the side of the right, then they should release that information, that information should become public."

Two documents from the Environment department reveal that as recently as February of this year, the Yukon government's Climate Change Secretariat was studying various carbon tax models and calculating how they would apply to the government's greenhouse gas emissions.

'Make sure that Yukon is at the table' 

Meanwhile, NDP leader Liz Hanson said a carbon tax will be a reality, whether the Yukon Party likes it or not. She said the intelligent approach is to make sure the Yukon is talking with the federal government as it's deciding what that tax will look like.

"We're going to have to deal, as a nation, with carbon pricing. What we need to do is make sure that Yukon is at the table, that we're able to influence how that carbon pricing mechanism will be put in place," Hanson said. 

Hanson added that an NDP government would ensure tax rebates to people most affected by a carbon tax. She also said that half of the tax revenues would go directly to developing renewable energy.