Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so we all know now that come April 1st we're going to have carbon tax, whether it's GNWT or the feds. So I guess my question is is, you know, knowing that we never know what's the outcome of anything, and so what would be the implications, you know, if we did not have that carbon tax for April 1st? Like, how would that impact our businesses? Like, the things that we asked for as Regular Members, you know, like we have in our carbon tax, how would that affects the Northwest Territories by having the federal back stop? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if we don't have the opportunity to maintain the system we are proposing, what we're likely to lose is this: Firstly right now we're proposing a three tiered regional system. So the communities that are facing the highest costs will get the most rebate. And what we've calculated is that the average household will, in fact, arguably be get more back in a rebate through the carbon or the cost of living offset than what they will actually be paying. That includes with an indirect tax, and the indirect carbon tax is the amount that we've calculated based on statistics Canada's supply use to show us what it is that industries are paying, built that in so that consumers have that power to offset when businesses have to raise their prices. So the consumer retains the ability to offset that. We would also be losing what we propose is a ten percent cost sharing with communities, Mr. Speaker, which right now is not something that we would that we are that we expect would come in if the federal back stop comes in. The challenge here, Mr. Speaker, I don't know necessarily what the federal government would do. I had an opportunity to speak with Minister Guilbeault. They were asking when we would be passing our tax, not coming to sort of rescue and not certainly making any commitments to me, but expecting that we pass this tax. And I hope certainly hope we do again so that, again, residents in the most vulnerable communities have that high est COLO payment so that communities get 10 percent sharing of our revenue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I guess, again, like, to my Member's statement, you know, this is a hard decision, and it's something that we all have to sit here and make, what's best for the Northwest Territories. So I guess more of a comment, I thanks the Minister, and I'll just leave it at that.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Taken as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
