The MPP for Kenora-Rainy River says his government will have the conversation on moving forward after Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan lost their Supreme Court challenge against Ottawa’s climate-change levy.
Greg Rickford says he’s not surprised with the ruling but respectively disagrees.
“I’ve aligned myself with the Court of Appeal judgements in Alberta and the descending opinion in Ontario that is quite concerned about a tax that is broadly applied and has no specific agenda to reduce climate change.”
Rickford notes “What they have shown to do is cost people a lot more money and we’re seeing that. Especially where businesses are impacted by transportation.”
The Minister of Energy believes imposing a punitive tax right now is not a smart idea.
“We’ve opposed a carbon tax as a matter of principle. We think there are way better alternatives to fight climate change and to do it effectively.”
Rickford adds the last thing they want is leaving this to the federal government to decide how they would collect the tax and spread it across the country versus what their own regime would look like.
Premier Doug Ford has stated Ontario will sit down with the federal government and collaborate with them.
