Ex-Alberta legislature member on tax strike over unpaid oilpatch property levies

Jan 22, 2020 | 9:36 AM

A former member of the Alberta legislature says he won’t pay his provincial taxes until oilpatch players pay theirs.

David Swann, who once led the Alberta Liberals, says his tax strike is in response to news that rural municipalities in the province have been left with $173 million in unpaid property tax from energy companies.

He’s encouraging other Albertans to withhold their taxes until the ‘patch ponies up.

Industry spokesmen say companies have been hit hard by a long-term decline in resource prices.