11 FEBRUARY 2016

PART III

Fredericton – In early March, Premier Gallant will participate in a First Ministers conference hosted by Prime Minister Trudeau to discuss a national climate action strategy. David Coon, MLA for Fredericton South and Leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick has some suggestions for Premier Gallant.

“Premier Gallant should implement a carbon fee where carbon enters the New Brunswick economy,” said Coon. “This would mean charging those that bring coal, oil, or natural gas into New Brunswick.”

A carbon fee is most effective when the proceeds are used to shift economic dependence away from fossil fuels.

“The revenue from a New Brunswick carbon fee must go into a dedicated fund to promote economic development in renewable energy, energy efficiency and public transportation,” said Coon. “My Green Jobs Bill would create a Crown Corporation called RenewNB that could be tasked with distributing those funds. RenewNB would help homeowners insulate their basements or install solar panels. It would ensure businesses had the up-front resources to purchase clean technologies.”

Coon’s Green Jobs Bill was introduced in December 2015 and will come before the legislature for second reading in the coming weeks.

“My bill provides a framework that Premier Gallant can use as he meets with Prime Minister Trudeau and the other premiers from across Canada to discuss a national climate action strategy,” said Coon.

It was 26 years ago, that provincial environment ministers first called for a national action strategy to combat climate change. Now is the time for action.