Alberta pipeline debate: carbon taxes and government spending under fire from taxpayer group

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney to scrap carbon taxes and cancel anti-pipeline laws instead of spending public money on a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the British Columbia coast. The group argues that government policies, not market forces, are blocking pipeline construction and that taxpayers should not have to cover the cost of those barriers. Key points include Alberta's agreement to hike its industrial carbon tax six and a half times by 2040 and a Leger poll showing 68% of Canadians believe businesses pass industrial carbon tax costs to consumers. The federation wants governments to remove regulatory obstacles so private companies can build pipelines without taxpayer backing. The Alberta government is expected to announce cost details for the proposed pipeline soon.