Province’s challenge to be heard at Ontario’s Court of Appeal
TORONTO - Ontario is protecting what matters most and standing up for the people by taking the next step in opposing the federal government's unconstitutional carbon tax, which threatens Ontario jobs and makes life less affordable for families, students, seniors and communities.
Ontario's case challenging the constitutionality of the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act is being heard by the Court of Appeal from April 15 to 18, 2019. Ontario is arguing that the provinces, not the federal government, have the primary responsibility to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and that the charges the act seeks to impose are in fact unconstitutional disguised taxation.
"Over the past few weeks, we have demonstrated clearly the very real cost of the federal government's carbon tax on the people, institutions and services of our province," said Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. "Our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan will lower emissions and put us on a path to meet our province's share of the federal government's targets, serving as proof that a carbon tax isn't the only way to fight climate change. It proves a carbon tax is unnecessary, which is why we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to challenge this tax on the people of Ontario."
Ontario is part of a coalition of provinces pledged to fight the federal government's unconstitutional carbon tax. Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have joined Ontario's challenge, with both provinces sharing our position that the federal law is unconstitutional.
"The federal government's carbon tax is forcing Ontarians to pay more to heat their homes, drive to work and buy groceries. It's simply not fair to hardworking individuals, families and small businesses," said Attorney General Caroline Mulroney. "That's why today, lawyers from my ministry are in court to argue that the federal government has enacted an unconstitutional, disguised tax. We are keeping our promise to fight for Ontarians."
The Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan considers our province's specific priorities, challenges and opportunities, and commits to reducing our emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, a target that aligns with the federal government's Paris commitments, without imposing a carbon tax on the people of our province. Through the efforts of individuals and industry, Ontario is already most of the way to this target, with the province's emissions down 22 per cent since 2005.
Source : Ontario.ca