Article content

Former Tory finance minister Jim Dinning says it’s time for conservative parties to “stop dragging our knuckles” and back the idea of a carbon tax.

Dinning, an adviser to Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, is one of the authors of a recent opinion piece that is supportive of the carbon levy being introduced by Alberta’s NDP government on Jan. 1, 2017.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Former Tory finance minister Jim Dinning backs carbon tax idea Back to video

In an interview Wednesday, Dinning said he has reservations about how the NDP plans to use the revenue from the carbon tax, but said the levy itself is structured well and makes sense.

“If you want to induce . . . decision-makers who are in homes or in businesses to bend the curve on emissions in Alberta, sending a price signal, i.e. a carbon tax, is a smart thing to do,” he said.

“It’s sound public policy.”

The ecofiscal commission is a group of economists that advocates for policies it says will lead to both environmental and economic prosperity. Its advisory board contains prominent figures from across the political spectrum.