The four Atlantic premiers have sent a letter to the federal government requesting a short-term extension past Friday’s deadline to submit a plan to address carbon emissions.
Writing on behalf of the premiers, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is also requesting a meeting with federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault in order to identify “practical solutions to this issue.”
Houston says the premiers are deeply concerned about the price increases that would result from a federal carbon tax, adding that the added costs would amplify inflationary pressures in Atlantic Canada.
The federal government says it will impose a carbon tax on provinces that do not submit plans it deems acceptable to reduce carbon emission, and Guilbeault recently rejected Nova Scotia’s proposal.
Ottawa’s deadline for provinces to submit their plans is Friday.
The price of carbon under the federal tax will increase by $15 per tonne in 2023, and then rise again every year until it reaches $170 per tonne in 2030.
Houston has said the tax could add 14.4 cents per litre to the cost of gasoline in Nova Scotia by April 2023.
