Right after announcing the , Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney took aim at Ottawa, saying that he would be willing to sue the federal government if it tries to impose a carbon tax on his oil-rich province.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 leading a Conservative government, bill number one of our first term of the legislature in the summer of 2019 would be the Carbon Tax Repeal Act,鈥� the former federal Conservative cabinet minister told CTV Power Play on Thursday.
With a stated aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the federal government is currently giving provinces the chance to impose . Those that haven鈥檛 done so by next spring will be subject to a federally imposed carbon tax.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all economic pain and no environmental gain,鈥� Kenney said. 鈥淎ll it does is to push investment outside the province into the energy sector elsewhere. It doesn鈥檛 reduce carbon emissions. It鈥檚 just another tax grab and that鈥檚 why we will repeal it.鈥�
Kenney criticized Alberta鈥檚 ruling NDP party, saying that nearly 70 per cent of Albertans are opposed to its provincial carbon tax plan. If the federal government attempts to impose a carbon tax on the province, Kenney said he鈥檇 be willing to join forces with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who has become the .
鈥淚f Justin Trudeau then tries to impose his federal carbon tax on us, we will link arms with Premier Brad Wall and sue the federal government for violating what we believe is provincial jurisdiction,鈥� Kenney said. 鈥淥ur declaration today says that this is a party that is loyal to a united Canada but will stand up and defend Alberta鈥檚 interests and areas of constitutional sovereignty and jurisdiction.鈥�
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, however, says that Ottawa is well within its constitutional rights to impose a carbon tax on the country鈥檚 provinces.
鈥淭he reality is we know polluting isn鈥檛 free,鈥� McKenna told CTV Power Play on Thursday. 鈥淲e need to take action.鈥�
Every other province, McKenna added, has been co-operating with the federal government.
鈥淲e have been clear that it鈥檚 well within the federal government鈥檚 right to take action to protect the environment and it鈥檚 only fair that there鈥檚 a price across the country,鈥� she said.
The carbon tax, she said, is not a cash grab.
鈥淭he reason you put a price on pollution is that, one, it reduces emissions, but two, it fosters innovation, because businesses will figure out a way to innovate so that they pollute less,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are moving to a lower carbon future, and鈥� we should be doing it together.鈥�
