New AFN Chief ‘Absolutely’ Supports Ontario Chiefs in Push for Carbon Price Review

New AFN Chief ‘Absolutely’ Supports Ontario Chiefs in Push for Carbon Price Review
National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Cindy Woodhouse, speaks to reporters after winning the election on the third day of the Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA) in Ottawa, on Dec. 7, 2023. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby
The Canadian Press
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The incoming leader of the Assembly of First Nations says she'll back demands by chiefs in Ontario for a judicial review of Canada’s carbon price.

Cindy Woodhouse was elected on Dec. 7 as national chief of the assembly, the largest First Nations advocacy organization in the country.

The Chiefs of Ontario, which represents 133 First Nations, asked the Federal Court to undertake a judicial review of the federal government’s carbon pricing system.

Ms. Woodhouse told a news conference in Ottawa shortly after her election that she’s “absolutely” willing to support that application.

The Ontario chiefs say the carbon price is discriminatory, in part because its rebate mechanism is tied to the federal income tax system, which many who live and work on reserves do not use.

The chiefs launched their application after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposed a three-year carbon exemption on home heating oil, a dominant fuel in Atlantic Canada.