Minister Responsible for SaskEnergy Dustin Duncan today introduced The SaskEnergy Amendment Act or the Carbon Tax Fairness for Families. This is in response to the federal government’s decision to stop charging the carbon tax on home heating oil, which the Saskatchewan government says primarily benefits families in Atlantic Canada.

By introducing the Act Thursday, the province is paving the way to removing the federal carbon tax from SaskEnergy bills effective January 1st which the government estimates will save the average Saskatchewan family $400 in 2024.

The bill also amends The SaskEnergy Act to designate the Crown as the sole registered distributor of natural gas in Saskatchewan, and invests all powers, rights, authorities, responsibilities and obligations for the purposes of Part 1 of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (Canada), to the Government of Saskatchewan. By doing so the Minister Responsible essentially becomes the sole decision maker in regard to the carbon tax.

The legislation is also intended to indemnify SaskEnergy and all current and former directors, officers, employees, agents, members and affiliates from all damages, costs, charges and expenses including legal fees that the corporation may face because of the provincial government’s decision to no longer collect the carbon tax and pay it to the federal government.