The fight against Ottawa’s carbon tax suffered another defeat on Friday as Ontario’s top court ruled the tax is constitutionally sound.
The court rejected a challenge from Doug Ford’s government on the validity of the carbon-pricing law. Ontario argued the Liberal government overstepped its authority in imposing the charge.
However, Friday’s ruling isn’t deterring the Manitoba government.
Premier Brian Pallister says Manitoba’s challenge differs from Ontario’s and will continue.
“We’ll take the time to review the Ontario Court of Appeal Decision. But our own April 2019 challenge of the federal government’s decision to impose an escalating carbon tax on Manitobans continues,” a Manitoba government spokesperson said in a release.
Premier Pallister says the province’s challenge is based on constitutional and general “unfairness grounds’’ based on our hydro-electric investments.
He says Ottawa has granted special treatment and exemptions to other provinces with less effective plans.
“This current federal government seems disinclined to give Manitobans credit for the massive investments we have made and are willing to continue to make in green energy,” said Pallister.
“Manitobans have already paid, without the federal government’s help, billions of dollars in investments in green hydro production and green transmission. Yet we get zero credit from this current federal government on this issue so I will not stop advocating for Manitoba’s best interest -- we deserve respect.”
Last month, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal sided with Ottawa in a similar challenge to Ontario’s.
“To support our Manitoba challenge we are also intervening in the Supreme Court of Canada on the earlier Saskatchewan Reference case, following a 3-2 constitutional decision in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal,” said a Manitoba government spokesperson.
