A request is being sent to the provincial government to review taxation benefits to industry and businesses who employ from outside of Alberta.
Wood Buffalo council met on Tuesday where they approved sending a recommendation to Alberta’s Fair Deal Panel to ask the province to review these deductions.
The motion was brought forward by Mayor Don Scott.
Speaking to reporters, he says this needs to be addressed as many are struggling to find work.
“We lost 1,100 jobs last month and at the same time we had people flying in from all over Canada to this region, so there’s something not quite right about that in my view.”
If the GoA doesn’t change anything, Scott still believes other provinces will at least start to pay more attention, specifically, to the oilsands.
“Every time I go to another province they have no idea how many of their employees actually work in the oilsands and they’re shocked when we tell them the numbers.”
The motion was unanimously supported by council. Councillors Keith McGrath, Krista Balsom, and Claris Voyageur were absent.
Councillor Mike Allen noted, along with jobs, the province is losing income from these out-of-province workers.
“If they choose to not change their address then their provincial portion is paid to the province where they are their primary residence.”
Meanwhile, the motion also requests the fair deal panel to encourage the provincial government to attend the 2020 Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual Conference, encourage the National Research Council to establish a National Centre for Cleaner Fossil Fuels in Fort McMurray, and encourage federal and provincial procurement policies to include a five per cent Indigenous spending goal.
