TORONTO—Premier Doug Ford announced that going forward, provincial governments will not be able to introduce a carbon tax without holding a referendum, giving voters the right to have their voices heard, should the new legislation pass.
It will also give constituents a “direct say” over the provincial carbon tax, cap and trade system or any other carbon pricing programs. However, Canada introduced a national policy in 2019 that requires provinces and territories to either adopt the federal carbon tax or to introduce their own system.
“This new law will guarantee that no provincial government can force a costly carbon tax on the people of Ontario without ensuring their voices are heard loud and clear,” Premier Ford said of the Get It Done Act, which will be tabled in the spring session of the legislature later this month.
The federal carbon tax on gasoline stands at 14.31 cents per litre, with projections indicating a rise to 37.43 cents per litre by 2030, as stated by the province.
Premier Ford has long been vocally opposed to the tax. “You’re being gouged by the carbon tax; it’s as simple as that. It’s the worst tax ever,” Premier Ford said. He even went to the extent of mandating gas stations to affix anti-carbon tax stickers on pumps in 2019. However, a year later, a Superior Court judge deemed this requirement unconstitutional.
“With the Bank of Canada’s high interest rates and the cost of living still so high, it’s never been more important to keep costs down for people and businesses,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I’ve always said, the carbon tax is the worst tax. It increases the cost of everything. We need to protect Ontario workers and families from the high cost of a carbon tax and we urge the federal government to do the same.”
In the previous year, the Ontario government declared an extension of its reductions in gas and fuel tax rates until June 30, 2024, aiming to mitigate the impact of pump prices. Premier Ford highlighted that since its inception in 2022, this cut has, on average, saved households $260. Since the federal carbon tax has been in effect, Ottawa has issued rebates to Canadians where the levy is applied through direct deposits and cheques.
This initiative forms a component of forthcoming legislation set to commence the spring session of the legislature on February 20, 2024. The Get It Done Act will encompass a range of measures aimed at enhancing the government’s existing commitments. These measures, if approved, will focus on expediting approvals for significant infrastructure projects and housing.
Premier Ford also accused former Mississauga mayor and current Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie of being “the queen of the carbon tax,” during her time from 2008 to 2011 as Liberal MP and also accusing her of raising taxes every year while she was mayor of Mississauga. In response, Ms. Crombie accused the premier of having “abandoned Ontario” stating that “Desperate Doug is yet again trying to distract Ontario citizens from his failures, flip flops and scandals” in a written statement. “Let’s be clear: Doug Ford would sooner drag Ontario backwards just to enrich his well-connected insiders, than come up with a climate plan of his own.”
According to a recent poll, if a provincial election were conducted today, Premier Ford’s Progressive Conservatives would hold a lead of only eight points, with 34 percent of the vote, over Ms. Crombie’s Liberals, which stand at 26 percent. The NDP, as indicated by the same poll, would receive only 18 percent of the vote. While the PCs have directed minimal attention towards the NDP and Opposition Leader Marit Stiles, they did release attack ads against Ms. Crombie in the latter months of 2023.
