View From the Legislature

Drivers in Manitoba will have noticed the price of gas jump on April 1 as the Trudeau carbon tax came into effect. It may have seemed like a bad April Fools joke but the impact on consumers is no laughing matter. And if Mr. Trudeau has his way and is re-elected in October, that tax will continue to climb yearly without any idea of where it is expected to end.

The Trudeau carbon tax will certainly increase the cost of almost everything, from gas prices, to heating your home to the cost of food. For industry, it threatens to make us less competitive and ultimately threaten jobs and economic growth.

From the beginning, the Trudeau government seemed unwilling to work with provinces on the issue of growing our green economy and reducing our carbon footprint. A legal opinion obtained last year confirmed that while the federal government may have the right to impose a carbon tax, that would only be the case if the provinces did not have their own plan that worked to meet the same objective.

As a result, the Manitoba government developed its “Made-in-Manitoba” plan that fit the realities of Manitoba and recognized our unique contributions. This would include recognizing that Manitobans have already contributed billions and billions of dollars in developing Manitoba Hydro which produces clean energy for our residents and to those who we provide exports.

And while the federal government seemed interested in providing flexibility and exemptions for other provinces, it told Manitoba that unless we instituted their plan, with an ever increasing carbon tax, it would simply force it upon Manitobans. And that is ultimately what Prime Minister Trudeau did earlier this month, forcing his carbon tax on Manitobans with the intention of continuing to increase it.

The federal government has not acted in a reasonable or a fair way when it comes to the imposition of a carbon tax on Manitobans. That is why our government announced that we will launch a legal challenge of the federal government’s decision to impose its carbon tax on Manitoba. While the cases are not identical, there are now several provinces that have launched legal actions against the Trudeau carbon tax.

Regrettably, the Trudeau government had the opportunity to work with Manitoba and with other provinces but decided not to. This continues a pattern of the federal government being unwilling to work on national files that significantly impact provinces. Manitobans deserve to be treated fairly by the federal government and to have their financial contributions to clean energy recognized. Launching a court action was not the path Manitoba wanted to go down, but it is necessary to stand up for Manitoba and for all Manitobans.