Ontario Premier Doug Ford has advised the federal Liberals to cancel the carbon tax or face “annihilation” in the next election.
Mr. Ford made the comments in response to a question a reporter asked him about Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s decision to stop collecting or remitting the carbon tax on home heating.
He said that Ontario can’t make the same move because the province does not own the utility, whereas Saskatchewan has a Crown corporation for energy services.
“They own the utility so they can they can do it. We can’t because our utility suppliers are private,” Mr. Ford said. “We do have shares in Hydro One but Enbridge and other utility companies are private so we can’t do it, but good luck to my friend Scott Moe.”
The premier also called the carbon tax the “worst tax you can ever put on the backs of people.”
“The number one issue with people’s affordability is affordable homes, affordable groceries, and affordable gas, and what drives up the inflation is energy costs,” Mr. Ford said.
“Cancel this carbon tax, put it on hold, do whatever. And if you don’t the people of Canada are gonna annihilate you when the election comes up. Simple as that.”
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has called the Saskatchewan premier “immoral” for not remitting the carbon tax.
“If Premier Scott Moe decides that he wants to start breaking laws and not respecting federal laws, then measures will have to be taken,” Mr. Guilbeault said on March 5.
“We can’t let that happen. What if somebody tomorrow decides that they don’t want to respect other federal laws, criminal laws? What would happen then if a prime minister, a premier of a province, would want to do that?”
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson also weighed in, saying Saskatchewan residents would not receive the carbon tax rebate if Mr. Moe persisted in not paying. He said Saskatchewan’s decision was reckless and pointed out the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the law for the carbon levy.
In response, Mr. Moe said his province would not pay the carbon tax at all if residents were not getting a rebate. He said the aim of such a move on the feds’ part would be to punish his province for asking to be treated fairly.
“On what basis would they cancel the entire rebate, especially when they are still providing carbon tax rebates to families in Atlantic Canada?” he asked in an X post.
“If the Trudeau government follows through on this threat, they will once again be penalizing Saskatchewan families for wanting to be treated the same as other Canadians.”
Saskatchewan and other provinces have been calling on Ottawa to pause the carbon tax on all forms of home heating. In October, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a pause on the tax for home heating oil, which largely benefited Atlantic Canada.
Mr. Trudeau has also said that there will be no further carve-outs to the carbon tax.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
