Touché!Alberta Premier Danielle Smith landed what amounted to a rhetorical smackdown of federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Twitter (“X”) over the weekend in a rock em’ sock em’ battle over fuel taxes..It came after the Liberal’s environmental enforcer jumped the boards with his stick up and dropped the gloves over Smith’s fuel surcharge that rises to 13 cents a litre effective April 1 — notwithstanding his own carbon tax goes up as much on the same day.“Gas prices are set to rise in Alberta next month, with the government fully reinstating its fuel tax… does that come with a rebate of $1,800/yr for a family of 4 ABDanielle Smith?”To which Smith landed a haymaker of her own: “Your punitive carbon tax that doesn’t even reduce emissions is not the same as our fuel tax which pays for roads — roads that you won’t build anymore.”.“Your punitive carbon tax that doesn’t even reduce emissions is not the same as our fuel tax which pays for roads — roads that you won’t build anymore.”Premier Danielle Smith.Ouch. Not content to go back to the bench and lick his wounds, Guilbeault appeared on CTV News’ Question Period that aired on Sunday morning defiantly proclaiming the start of “consultations” — Guilbeaut’s dog whistle for ‘unilateral’ — to prepare for the “next phase” of carbon tax increases post-2030 when the present ones expire.“By 2035, there's no decision that has been made yet, other than we will continue increasing the price on pollution," he said. .“If there's a measure like that lying around under a rock somewhere, someone needs to show it to me, because I haven't seen it,"Steven Guilbeault .In other words, over and above the planned $170 per tonne tithe by 2030. That’s more than double the $80 it goes up to next week. And then in perpetuity.In addition to the likes of Smith, he also took shots at Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre for his ‘axe the tax’ stance that produced a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons last week.Guilbeault also vowed that there would be no more carve-outs — ever — despite widespread opposition from seven of Canada’s 10 premiers.“If there's a measure like that lying around under a rock somewhere, someone needs to show it to me, because I haven't seen it," he said..Smith defended the fuel surcharge in Calgary on Friday as an apples-to-oranges comparison with Guilbeaut’s “punitive” carbon tax because it pays for road maintenance and is adjustable depending on oil prices.Even though they averaged around USD$70 in the first quarter — well below the $80 threshold to lower it — benchmark West Texas Intermediate was above $82 on Monday over geopolitical concerns.Smith said it would be reviewed again in June and if oil prices warrant, lowered accordingly as opposed to Guilbeault who has vowed to keep raising his in perpetuity. Or, as long as he’s in power.
