Isra-Mart srl : Duncan, Hastman debate NDP’s carbon cap-and-trade policy

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The NDP’s carbon cap-and-trade policy would reinvest any money collected from Alberta back into the province, Edmonton-Strathcona candidate Linda Duncan said Friday.

But Duncan said big polluters are getting off too easy by not having to pay for the carbon they put in the atmosphere.

“I think it’s time for the major emitters to be bearing that cost,” Duncan said, adding that the price won’t necessarily be passed on to consumers.

Duncan was vague on details, but said money leaving the province in offsets could be eventually reinvested in things such as energy retrofits, public transit and technological research.

She accused Conservative Ryan Hastman of “scaremongering” and distorting her party’s policies on the oilsands.

Hastman spent time at a south-side Husky gas station (price per litre: 121.9 cents) to bash what he called the NDP’s “cap and tax” plan.

Hastman ­cited University of Calgary economist Jack Mintz, who has said gas prices could rise by as much as 10 cents a litre if the NDP’s carbon trading policy is put in place. Other economists say the increase could be smaller.

Hastman believes the plan would be disaster for the province’s economy.

“It targets Alberta unfairly,” he said. “Their targeted cap and tax singles out our energy industry and the oilsands in particular.”

Hastman said he doesn’t trust the NDP to keep money from cap and trade in Alberta.

“Albertans can’t be sure what their true intentions are, but we know that it won’t be good for our economy.”

Hastman’s campaign has focused heavily on oilsands and energy issues, accusing the NDP of putting those industries at risk if they are elected Monday.

But Duncan pointed out the Conservatives have agreed to implement a cap-and-trade system in the past.

“The Harper government promised a cap-and-trade regime since the day he was elected, and they’ve done nothing,” Duncan said.

Duncan said it’s Hastman, not her, who is spending so much talking about energy issues.

“If he thinks the issue is the oilsands, what’s his platform? How is he going to reduce the greenhouse gases and the pollution in the oilsands?”

The NDP’s energy policy has come under greater scrutiny in recent weeks as the party and its leader Jack Layton have risen in the polls. Layton was in Edmonton on Wednesday for a campaign rally, but did not take question from reporters.