Carbon tax lawsuit puts Ontario on wrong side of history

April 15, 2019

TORONTO — Mike Schreiner made the following statement on the first day of the carbon tax lawsuit:

“Sabotaging climate solutions firmly places Premier Ford on the wrong side of history.

This $30 million lawsuit wastes public dollars and sends a message that Ontario does not take the climate emergency seriously.

This legal case is more about drumming up fears and helping Andrew Scheer’s election campaign than it is about lodging a legitimate constitutional argument.

Legal opinion is strongly on the side of the federal government’s authority to enact greenhouse gas reduction legislation. Pollution pricing works; it’s good for the economy and the climate.

Pollution pricing is backed by 80% of economists as the cheapest, most market-friendly way to reducing pollution. It has worked in places like Sweden, California and BC to reduce emissions while boosting the economy. Recent polling shows a majority of Ontarians support it.

On the other hand, the government’s weak replacement plan spends $400 million of your tax money to subsidize polluters based on a scheme that failed to reduce emissions in Australia.

If Premier does not trust the federal plan, I invite him to implement his own carbon pricing program and rebate the money fully to citizens, just like the Green Party has called for.

We will be looking back on Ford’s campaign to sabotage climate solutions with shame and regret.”

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