Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she’s unsure if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will pause the latest carbon tax increase planned for April 1st.
The Premier told The Counter Signal after leaving a meeting with the Prime Minister on Wednesday morning where she raised a number of concerns and aspirations for collaboration between Ottawa and Alberta.
Smith said she advised Trudeau to pause the plan to increase the levy, and told him it would be a “political win” for him.
“Do you think he was open to that?” asked The Counter Signal’s Editor-in-Chief, Keean Bexte.
“I’ll let actions decide that — we’ll find out in a couple of weeks if he was persuaded by it,” the Premier responded.
The Premier further noted that seven Premiers have now asked Trudeau to at least pause the tax.
“We’re still paying more in the tax than any of us are getting back in the rebates,” she stated. “People know that, they feel it.”
Smith added: “They’re also seeing that that’s having an impact on inflation, and inflation is one of the reasons the Bank of Canada says we can’t see a reduction in interest rates, which is hurting people when they go to renew their mortgage.”
Smith also said she believes the carbon pollution tax is already accomplishing enough.
Tax going up April 1
The Trudeau Government’s levy is scheduled to go up by $15 per tonne of carbon emissions on April 1, from $65 to $80. And they aim to continue escalating the tax annually until 2030.
Seven out of ten Premiers have issued statements addressed to Prime Minister Trudeau, asking him to pause his plans for the increase — or get rid of the whole thing altogether.
Along with Smith, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, PEI Premier Dennis King, and even Newfoundland’s Liberal Premier, Andrew Furey, have all issued statements asking the federal Liberals to pause their planned hike.
Arguing that the carbon tax will cut emissions and foster innovation, the Liberal’s upcoming increase translates to an added 17 cents per litre on gasoline, 21 cents per litre on diesel, and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.
