Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House again in regards to Bill 60. Mr. Speaker, it's concerning in this House about the impacts of carbon tax in my riding. I continue to raise my concerns today.
Mr. Speaker, Bill 60 cannot go forward as proposed. The carbon tax is going to increase the cost of living in the Northwest Territories in my riding by 15 percent and 4 percent every year after.
Mr. Speaker, we're doing the federal government's dirty work. How are we going to tax people who have nothing to give, Mr. Speaker? Why are we putting our people at the highest place in the Arctic, we're being penalized because of where we live. We're the most impacted by climate change being taxed on climate change where this territory gives 0.05. The federal government should be paying us to clean their air, Mr. Speaker. You know, everything that's happening right now, we have we provide for our families, we hunt. We travel on the land. The cost of gas is going up in the communities, at $2.75 a litre in some communities. And then if you don't get nothing to if you luck out, don't get any caribou or anything that's subsistence for how we're going to feed our families because you just wasted your gas and you get nothing. Putting pressure on families. On top of all this, the government expects us to pay more taxes.
Mr. Speaker, we pay more taxes already. We pay $2 a kilowatt in small communities for power. The families can barely afford to buy food. We have the highest price of food index in the Northwest Territories. Over 50 percent of the Nunakput residents are worried about having enough money to buy food and provide for their families, Mr. Speaker. We have to hunt, again to put food on the table. It's our culture, our way of life, hunting is our household. The pressure to provide food for our family and especially with the climate change and the ice is thinner in some parts of the territory in our riding. Our power bills continue to go up. And yet our houses, you know, that are provide in the communities, our housing, are paperthin walls, cracks in doors and brings snow right through the homes, floors are so cold they have to put blankets down for and how energy efficient is that, Mr. Speaker?
People in our riding have very little employment opportunities. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, families earn average $50,000 less than NWT family, almost 20 percent are on income assistance. Over 10 percent of our families make less than $30,000. There's no offshore; the moratorium is still in place. The federal government takes away but doesn't give nothing back. The resource development is dragging on. There's no way to get ahead, Mr. Speaker. There's no way to pay the bills. Residents already have to and now that are going to be taxed more. Mr. Speaker, I oppose the carbon tax on Bill C60 and we simply can't tax our people anymore when they don't have nothing to give. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
