Premiers say Ottawa must ensure carbon pricing measures are fair to all Canadians
CTV
Canada's premiers presented a rare unified front Monday as they took turns saying Ottawa's recent changes to its carbon pricing measures were unfairly applied across the country.
Canada's premiers presented a rare unified front Monday as they took turns saying Ottawa's recent changes to its carbon pricing measures were unfairly applied across the country.
They released a statement after a meeting in Halifax, calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure federal policies, such as carbon pricing, are delivered in an equitable way, "particularly in light of the affordability challenges being faced across the country."
Though Quebec Premier Francois Legault did not attend the meeting, he was represented by the province's minister responsible for Canadian relations, Jean-Francois Roberge.
Last week, Trudeau announced his government would pause for three years the carbon price on home heating oil to make it easier for users of that particularly expensive form of fuel to switch to electric heat pumps.
When Trudeau made the announcement, he said the measure would be welcomed in Atlantic Canada, where a disproportionately large number of homes and businesses use heating oil in the colder months. At the time, he was flanked by MPs from the region.
But the move immediately drew criticism from premiers in Western Canada, where most residents use natural gas to heat their homes and businesses.
On Monday, the premiers rallied around the idea that Ottawa's move treated Canadians differently at a time when the entire country is struggling with an affordability crisis.
