WESTLOCK – Liberal candidate Leslie Penny knows she is facing an uphill battle when supporting the federal carbon tax in the Peace River-Westlock riding, but despite the opposition locally she says climate change effects everyone and needs to be taken seriously.
The former healthcare worker and Town of Barrhead councillor says that the carbon tax is a necessary step in working towards reducing the carbon footprint. Election day is Sept. 20 with advance polls opening Sept. 10-13.
“The carbon tax is not a popular item, this I know. But I also know that you have to put a price in. When you pollute you pay. I drive my car and I am helping to pay for the pollution that my car puts into the atmosphere,” said Penny.
“We’ve seen what happens when our weather gets extremely hot, when it gets extremely dry, it’s going to be a long process, but we need to be willing to discover and adopt a number of different ways to reduce our carbon emissions. We also need to work on some of the other emissions that can cause the Earth to warm."
Noting that the carbon tax does not work for everyone, Penny acknowledges that amendments may need to be made in order to accommodate small businesses and producers impacted by the costs associated with it.
“We need to encourage people to use carbon efficiently. We will make sure the carbon tax is not stressing farmers and small businesses on margins as far as income, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us shouldn’t pay.”
And with the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the need for childcare options, Penny says affordable childcare is on her radar
“One of the things we found out during the pandemic was how difficult it was when you needed to work and there was no possibility of getting childcare. This is something that has been a concern even pre-pandemic. There has to be a safe place for their children to be that provides early childhood education.”
Affordable housing is another key platform. Acknowledging that the issue is complex and difficult to approach, Penny says that affordable housing should be available for all Canadians.
“We want to make sure everyone in this country is able to have a safe and healthy roof over their head. We’re not there yet, so we need to work with the provinces and with the municipalities to find ways to provide housing, whether it’s actually building houses and selling them or it’s working in partnership with contractors or in partnership with the province.”
