Canada’s Premiers will meet this Monday and Tuesday in Halifax as part of the Council of the Federation meetings focusing on housing, infrastructure, and the healthcare workforce.
Premier Scott Moe plans to continue discussing the carbon tax when he meets with his counterparts.
“The federal government needs to make some different decisions when it comes to the unfair decisions that they have made that are really treating families unfairly in different regions of Canada,” he said. “This is all about fairness for families.”
“We’ve always believed this is a flawed policy, but outside of Quebec, it has largely been implemented somewhat fairly. Nobody can say that it’s being implemented fairly today,” he continued.
Moe has also said he would direct SaskEnergy to stop collecting the carbon price on natural gas altogether, which could come with legal penalties under federal carbon-price legislation.
His comments and direction of SaskEnergy come after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there would not be further carbon price carve-outs, including for natural gas, following the federal government’s decision to exempt home heating oil from the policy, which will mainly affect the Atlantic portion of the country.
Since making the announcement, Trudeau and his government have faced pressure from other provinces and accusations of regional political favouritism.
In Halifax, Moe will meet with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who have also asked that the carve-out be extended to natural gas.
All Premiers will also host a Health Summit to gain insight into how provinces and territories are enhancing health care through innovative and forward-thinking initiatives.
