View From the Legislature

Last week, our government announced in the Legislature that the Made-in-Manitoba Climate Green Plan will be moving forward without a carbon tax. This announcement comes after months of discussions with the federal Liberal government about respecting the stability for consumers and businesses our plan had offered, but the federal government had never assured Manitobans that further higher carbon taxes would not be imposed.

Our government is committed to Manitoba’s Green Plan, which focuses on cleaner water, conservation of natural areas, effective steps to address climate change, and strengthening our economy. Our investments in hydro-electric power have made significant contributions to keeping Manitoba green. Our Green Plan meant consumers and businesses in Manitoba would be able to plan for the future effectively, but our plan was not being respected by the federal government. The lack of federal assurance meant action had to be taken.

In fact, through investments in Manitoba Hydro, Manitobans have already invested billions of dollars in reducing our carbon footprint and developing clean energy. The failure of the federal Liberal government to recognize this is very disappointing.

Manitoba has always been willing to do its part, and we are again. However, we need the federal government to recognize that a one size fits all solution is not the most effective means of dealing with the issue. The Prime Minister should be working with provinces to ensure that we are meeting our common objectives with the strengths and investments we are making in our provinces. In the meantime, our government will move ahead with investments in clean and renewable energy. But we will not be implementing a carbon tax.