The federal cabinet is working to prevent a scheduled 19% increase in the carbon tax set for April 1, according to Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
However, it remains uncertain whether legislative action through Parliament will be required to stop the hike, says Blacklock's Reporter.
“We’re considering different options,” Guilbeault told reporters. “Do we need to amend legislation? Can we address this through regulations? What are the pathways? I don’t have definitive answers yet.”
Asked if the government intends to act before an election is called, Guilbeault reiterated that options are still under review. He also highlighted Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney’s commitment to replacing the consumer carbon tax with a levy on industrial polluters.
“He said he wanted to get rid of it,” Guilbeault noted. “We are assessing how that can be accomplished and on what timeline.”
Under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the carbon tax is scheduled to rise annually until 2030.
The pending April 1 increase includes a jump to 18 cents per cubic metre for natural gas, 21 cents per litre for gasoline, 23 cents for aviation fuel, and 25 cents per litre for diesel and home heating oil.
Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden (Milton, Ont.), parliamentary secretary for the environment, confirmed the hike will not take effect but provided no further details.
“That won’t go up on April 1,” he said. “The consumer carbon tax will also soon be removed from other fuels.”
When questioned about how the tax could be scrapped without parliamentary approval, van Koeverden deferred to the finance and environment ministers.
“I think it’s very possible,” he stated. He also expressed a desire to see Carney eliminate the consumer carbon tax before the next federal election. “Yes, I think so,” he affirmed.
“It has become a major distraction,” van Koeverden continued. “There are alternative ways to cut emissions and combat climate change that are less divisive.”
Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos (London North Centre, Ont.), parliamentary secretary for housing, echoed the call for a pre-emptive halt to the tax hike. “There is interest in an election at this time,” he observed.
Asked how quickly Carney would move to eliminate the tax, Fragiskatos responded, “Decisions on that will be made soon.”
“The tax has proven highly divisive,” Fragiskatos added. “There are more effective ways to implement meaningful climate policy.”
