Trudeau says Alberta carbon tax fight won’t affect Trans Mountain line decision
Posted May 10, 2019 1:50 pm.
Last Updated May 10, 2019 2:22 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
EDMONTON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Alberta’s opposition to a carbon tax won’t influence his cabinet’s decision on whether to approve the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
But Trudeau says climate change cannot be ignored and that one of the easiest ways to fight it is with a carbon tax.
He says the federal carbon tax remains affordable to Canadians, with tax incentives to ensure an average family does not get punished.
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The federal tax has been put in place in Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Manitoba — provinces that have not implemented their own carbon levy.
Alberta will soon join that list as Premier Jason Kenney’s new government has promised to kill the province’s carbon tax then fight the federal one in court.
When asked if Ottawa would immediately implement a federal carbon tax should the Alberta one be repealed, Trudeau says there will be discussions but says nowhere in Canada will it be free to pollute.
