Saskatchewan's Carbon Tax Challenge Hits The Courtroom This Week

The Provincial Government is asking the Appeals Court to rule on whether the Federal Government’s carbon tax is constitutional.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan has been granted intervener status in the case.

President Todd Lewis says they have an important story to tell about the role farmers and agriculture play.

“I think we have a pretty strong argument. We have an industry here in Western Canada that’s really a world leader in carbon management and really with the carbon backstop plan, it doesn’t take any of that into account. In many cases, it ignores the good work that’s been done and continues to be done on the farmland and pastures in Saskatchewan.”

Lewis says they (APAS) believe by adding costs such as the carbon tax to agricultural producers, it could make them less able to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

He notes the Federal Governments policy doesn’t recognize the role agriculture plays every year in sequestering millions of tonnes of carbon in our cropland and pastures.

Saskatchewan producers manage 43% of Canada’s cropland and 35% of the grasslands, so our contribution is important on the national scale, and this needs to be duly recognized by our Federal Government.

The Federal Government has said its power to impose a carbon tax comes from Section 91 of the Constitution which says state laws can be made for the peace, order and good government of Canada.