Premiers urge Trudeau to 'support all Canadians fairly' in critique of carbon tax carve-out

Canada’s premiers have urged the federal government to “support all Canadians fairly” in a statement about the carbon tax.

They said they were concerned that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent decision to suspend the carbon tax on home heating oil had “treated Canadians differently.”

The Liberal government has been under pressure from the Conservatives, NDP and premiers across Canada after unveiling changes to the federal carbon pricing system.

The move was widely seen as favouring the Atlantic provinces, but Trudeau denies this, claiming instead that heating oil is particularly dirty and expensive.

The prime minister later said there will “absolutely not” be any further carbon tax carve-outs.

In a statement released on Monday following their Council of the Federation meeting in Halifax, premiers emphasized that climate change is a “key concern for Canadians.”

But their statement added: “Premiers expressed concern that federal actions around the federal carbon tax have treated Canadians differently and expect the federal government to support all Canadians fairly.

“Premiers are unanimous in calling on the Prime Minister to ensure that federal policies and programs are delivered in a fair and equitable way to all Canadians, particularly in light of the affordability challenges being faced across the country.”

The premiers also called on Trudeau to host a meeting of provincial and federal leaders, bemoaning that there hadn’t been one since December 2018.

“Premiers reiterated their call for a First Ministers’ Meeting to discuss competitiveness and strategic infrastructure,” the statement explained, adding that the leaders had made “repeated” requests for a conference.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said the premiers shared worries about affordability and equal treatment across Canada.

But he also said BC’s provincial carbon tax had been a success.

Other leaders were more explicit in their criticism of the federal carbon tax, with New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs saying the levy had not achieved “what it was intended to do.”

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, meanwhile, said the carbon tax “is not a silver bullet” in the fight against climate change.