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Alberta’s carbon tax is dead, but Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna is working “as quickly as possible” to impose the federal tax on the province instead.

Although the Carbon Tax Repeal Act — the UCP’s first bill — is yet to pass, fuel sellers were expected to stop collecting the tax at 12:01 a.m.

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Just hours later, the skies of Edmonton darkened with smoke from wildfires in the north of the province.

A press conference with Premier Jason Kenney, planned for a gas station in west Edmonton Thursday afternoon, was cancelled when the fire situation worsened.

His office said it was so he could receive a briefing on the emergency.

McKenna told reporters in Ottawa it was unfortunate to see Kenney’s government nix the tax.

“We know we’re feeling the impacts of climate change. In Alberta, you have forest fires this year that have started earlier than before, major concerns about the impacts of these fires this year,” she said.