Mr. Speaker, carbon tax has now become a word many people don't want to hear. However, as Members in this House, we have talked, listened to residents, and debated this topic for the past few months. I am in a situation now that I must decide on what's best for the residents in the Northwest Territories on how we move ahead with this.
The GNWT carbon tax is what we are paying now but heating fuel has been able to be excluded up until the new changes that are coming that being imposed upon by the federal government. They have decided they will no longer allow for GNWT as this goes against what they are trying to do decrease carbon in Canada. And now their schedules according to their schedules, we're increasing the carbon tax.
Those territories and provinces, whether they are under the federal backstop or have opted to create a carbon tax that will best meet their needs and fit the federal guidelines, we in the NWT have our own legislation and now we are at a point where we have to decide to agree to what GNWT Cabinet has decided for the NWT or decide to not support and therefore the federal backstop will kick in, and the tax will kick in.
Mr. Speaker, we as Regular Members ask for legislation to ensure that our residents have a regional COLO payment, to our residents, money for municipalities, businesses, and offset, as well as defined legislation that must come to this House to be decided if there are any changes in the future by all MLAs. Cabinet has agreed to regional COLO payments for the municipalities to get and they are also agreed to the COLO regional COLO payments in the municipalities but with legislation, you know, we are where we at.
The new carbon tax changes will take place April 1st, 2023, so we have to decide who we trust more that will take care of Northerners GNWT or the federal government. Because if we vote down the GNWT tax, the federal carbon tax will take over and we will be still paying the tax. So I will have some questions for the Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
