On April 1, was not a synonym of joke for the people of Ontario, New Brunswich, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Since Monday, these four canadian provinces have seen the price at the pump increase due to the entry into force of the carbon tax the federal government imposed. The latter believed that these provinces had not adopted any measures consistent with the national targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Canada aims in addition to reduce these greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
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“The price of gasoline will increase by a little over 4 cents (per litre, up 2.7 cents)”, announced on Sunday the canadian minister of the Environment, Catherine McKenna. According to the latter, the measure is expected to encourage drivers to choose other means of transport that are less polluting. “This is an incentive for people to say that they should choose a vehicle more energy efficient, or maybe the public transport”, argued the minister.
The provinces deem the imposition of the tax “unconstitutional”
The carbon tax is set at 20 canadian dollars a tonne, 13,30 euros, and is expected to increase to $ 10 per year to reach the $ 50 at the horizon 2022. This new federal tax, applies as well to more than twenty of fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, or kerosene. “We can no longer pollute for free in Canada.”, forged in October last the prime minister Justin Trudeau. In addition to the tax imposed on citizens, the government has put in place the 1st of last January, a system of exchange of emission rights for companies in the most polluting in the country.
If the environmental groups support it, the measure raises the anger of elected officials, and motorists of the provinces . In Saskatchewan, the government has even launched a legal battle against Ottawa, taking the view that the imposition against the will of the federal tax, is unconstitutional because it encroaches on the prerogative of the premier of the province. The carbon tax “does not work, it is a huge cost for the families of the province and for our economy based on the export”, stated the prime minister of the province, Scott Moe. Even the sound of a bell in the province of Ontario, including the prime minister, sues the government of Ottawa. The carbon tax “will make everything more expensive,” said the latter, in a video showing filling of gasoline the tank of a car. Fervent opponent of the carbon tax, Doug Ford withdrew the province, as it was a few months, the system of cap-and-trade in which Ontario was involved with the Quebec and California.
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in addition, the head of the federal conservative party Andrew Scheer was also estimated, during a press conference that Canadians “do not want to pay this new tax” but want to “tax relief”.
The money collected will be refunded to the taxpayers, according to the federal government
The canadian federal government has, however, indicated that it intended to grant to 80% of households a tax reduction of an amount greater than the carbon tax, in order to minimise the costs for the small emitters. “You will get your money back. A family of four people in Ontario will touch 307 dollars,” said the canadian minister of the Environment. With this system of taxation, the government shall also be guided by British Columbia, which has allocated the revenue from the carbon tax to investment in the energy transition as well as tax cuts to households.
Saturday, Justin Trudeau has assured on Twitter that this tax was the “best way to combat climate change”. The federal government argues in particular that, like British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec, both of which have put in place a pricing system on emissions of greenhouse gases, are among the provinces that have experienced the largest increase in their GDP.
