Wildrose leader Brian Jean and hundreds of Edmontonians gathered at the legislature on Saturday to protest the NDP’s impending carbon tax.

 

There were about a dozen rallies across the province, and Jean told the Edmonton crowd that the resources in dispute belong to Albertans, not the politicians in charge.

"Our oil, our natural resources belong to us,” Jean said. They do not belong to Rachel Notley. They do not belong to Trudeau. They belong to the people of Alberta," Jean said.

The opposition leader did not blame Notley for low energy prices that are hurting the province’s economy, but he said that her carbon tax will worsen the situation.

“No matter where we go in Alberta,” Jean said, “people are very upset by this tax. It was not campaigned on in the last election, and the people of Alberta want a referendum.”

 

Organizers are looking for nearly 500,000 signatures to hold a referendum against it.

 

“This is trying to be forced onto us when we have no say,” Melanie Anderson said.

The tax will kick in January 1, and it is expected to increase the cost of gas and energy.

The NDP government has promised that low-to-middle income families will get taxes back in the form of a rebate, but not everyone at the rally is sold on the plan.

“The rebate program,” Anderson said, “when is that coming? After we paid out the money? We don’t have the money to give them up front.”

Notley's government wants to reduce the effects of climate change, and rely more on renewable energies such as wind, solar and hydro power.

While some at the Edmonton rally questioned whether climate change was really a problem, others acknowledged it, but said a carbon tax would only kick Alberta when it's already down.

The Wildrose promised that, if elected, they will scrap the carbon tax.

“I promise you no matter what happens – if we get the privilege to form a government after the next election, we will work for the people of Alberta,” Jean said.

 

With files from Taylor Oseen and The Canadian Press