Ford Says Legislation Coming to Require Referendum on Any Future Provincial Carbon Tax

Legislation Expected to Mandate Referendum for Any Future Provincial Carbon Tax, Ford Announces

February 13, 2024 TruthUSA

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said he will be introducing legislation to require a referendum on any future carbon tax in the province.

Ontario is currently subject to the federally imposed carbon tax, since it doesn’t have one of its own, as required by federal regulations and upheld by the Supreme Court. The proposed legislation doesn’t address the federal carbon tax, but is meant to prevent any future provincial government from bringing its own system, as is the practice in some provinces such as British Columbia.

“This new law will guarantee that no provincial government can force a costly carbon tax on the people of Ontario without ensuring their voices are heard loud and clear,” Mr. Ford said on Feb. 13. “We’re giving the people of Ontario a veto over carbon taxes. People know where I stand on the carbon tax. I’ve opposed it from the very beginning.”

Targeting the federal carbon tax, his government reiterated that it is asking for similar carve-outs on home heating fuels as the federal government granted for heating oil, primarily used in the Atlantic provinces.

“We made a promise to fight the federal carbon tax and our government will continue to lead by example, giving Ontarians certainty that carbon pricing on the backs of taxpayers is not the way forward,” Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario’s minister of finance, said in a statement. “Any new provincial carbon tax is unacceptable for Ontario residents who are seeing their hard-earned dollars stretched further than ever.”

The carbon tax is currently at 14.3 cents per litre for gasoline but is set to increase in April to 17.6 cents per litre. It will increase a few cents every year until reaching 37.4 cents per litre in 2030.

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The Ontario Liberal Party leader said the move was a distraction.

“Desperate Doug is trying to distract Ontario citizens from his failures, flip-flops, and scandals,” Bonnie Crombie posted on Twitter.

“If he was actually interested in hearing from Ontarians, he would have held a referendum before selling off our healthcare system, the Greenbelt, and ServiceOntario.”

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said it was “political games” that were to distract from the premier’s “failures on housing, healthcare and everything in between.”

The Epoch Times reached out to the official opposition NDP but did not immediately hear back.

The proposal will be part of legislation to kick off the spring sitting of the legislature, which begins on Feb. 20.

Several provinces, including Ontario, challenged the federal carbon tax when it was first introduced, saying it was unconstitutional.

However, the Supreme Court ruled against them, with Chief Justice Richard Wagner writing the decision, saying the act was constitutional.

“They noted that global warming causes harm beyond provincial boundaries and that it is a matter of national concern under the ‘peace, order and good government’ clause of the Constitution,” a March 2021 court news release said.

The provinces argued that they had jurisdiction over natural resources.

“The federal government argued that it has the authority to address issues that are national in scope,” the release said. “It also maintained that the law was a backstop (or safety net) to ensure minimum carbon pricing standards across the country.”

Provinces Challenge Carbon Tax on Home Heating

Mr. Ford’s announcement comes after Saskatchewan stopped collecting the carbon tax on home heating starting on Jan. 1. The move came after Premier Scott Moe called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to remove the tax from all forms of home heating.

In October, Mr. Trudeau announced a pause on the carbon tax for home heating oil, which largely benefited Atlantic Canada.

Several provinces, including Saskatchewan and Alberta, called on Mr. Trudeau to pause the tax on all forms of home heating.

However, the prime minister resisted.

“There will absolutely not be any other carve-outs or suspensions of the price on pollution,” he told reporters on Oct. 31. “This is designed to phase out heating oil.”

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