http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia
Industry claims promise of $2.6M fuel tax break was broken
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil says his government cannot afford to deliver a fuel tax break to the mining and quarry industry, even though the Liberals promised to phase in the rebate starting in 2015.
“It was our expectation and understanding that we would start getting the fuel tax rebate in the recent budget. Unfortunately the budget did not deliver on that,” said Sean Kirby, the executive director of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia.
The mining industry has argued that like farming, fishing and forestry, it should qualify for the rebate on the fuel used off public highways.
“That amounts to about $2.6 million a year in fuel taxes which we just shouldn’t be paying for the simple reason that we don’t use that fuel on highways,” said Kirby. “We use it on huge mining quarry vehicles that operate off-road.”
McNeil agrees, but said his government cannot afford to lose the revenue right now.