Open in full screen mode Premier Tim Houston (center), the current president of the Council of the Federation, sits between Premiers Doug Ford (left) of Ontario and Blaine Higgs (right) of New Brunswick , on November 6 in Halifax. Radio-Canada Feature being tested Log inCreate my account Speech synthesis, based on artificial intelligence, makes it possible to generate spoken text from 'a written text. Conservative premiers of five provinces call on the federal Liberal government to eliminate carbon pricing on all residential heating fuels across the country. Tim Houston of Nova Scotia and Blaine Higgs of New Brunswick joined their counterparts Doug Ford of Ontario, Danielle Smith of Alberta and Scott Moe of Saskatchewan to make the request . We urge the federal government to immediately eliminate the carbon tax on all forms of residential heating across Canada, they wrote in a dated letter of November 10 and addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The group responds to the three-year suspension of carbon pricing on fuel oil. This departure from federal carbon policy, announced two weeks ago, targets, among others, Atlantic residents where 30% of people heat with oil. It is also the region of the country where the carbon tax would be the most unpopular, according to a recent poll (New window).
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs earlier this month in Fredericton.
Premiers Higgs, Houston, Ford, Smith and Moe judge that this decision is unfair. By targeting only Atlantic Canadians, this measure has caused divisions across the country, say the five signatories of the letter to Justin Trudeau.
We are pleased that your government recognizes some of the difficulties caused by carbon pricing, particularly in Atlantic Canada, wrote Ms. Smith and MM. Ford, Higgs, Houston and Moe.
However, many Canadian households use other sources of heating in their home instead of heating oil. Winter is coming and these people deserve a respite too. It is vitally important that federal policies be accessible to all Canadians in a fair and equitable manner, they insist.
We are calling on the federal government to do the right thing and treat all Canadians fairly by eliminating the federal carbon tax on all forms of residential heating, they wrote.
All Canadians are of equal value and should be respected equally, they add. A Canadian is a Canadian.
Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, at a meeting of the Council of the Federation on November 6 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
They are asking for a meeting with Justin Trudeau to discuss it.
On October 31, Mr. Trudeau said that there would be no absolutely no other exemptions similar to that for Atlantic residents.
In an emailed statement, Finance Ministry spokesperson Katerine Cuplinskas said last month's announcement was a recognition that more time and more support is needed to help all Canadians across the country who heat their homes with oil are transitioning to cleaner, more affordable heating alternatives.
Finance Minister Krystia Freeland is scheduled to meet with his provincial counterparts in December.
Nova Scotia's Tim Houston (left) and Scott Moe (right) , from Saskatchewan, on November 7 in Halifax.
With winter fast approaching, Canadians shouldn't have to choose between heating their homes or putting gifts under the tree for their loved ones, added Blaine Higgs, from New Brunswick, on Social Network X on Sunday.
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I joined the premiers of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Nova Scotia in calling on the Prime Minister of Canada to hold a meeting on the fairness of the tax on carbon for all households in Canada.
Winter fast approaching… pic.twitter.com/almO6MsDMI
— Blaine Higgs (@premierbhiggs) November 12, 2023
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At least two provincial premiers are considering their legal options in the face of the federal price on carbon pollution. In Saskatchewan, Scott Moe recently said provincial energy company SaskEnergy could stop collecting and paying it to Ottawa on January 1.
A few days later, the New Brunswick premier said that he was also considering the idea of challenging Ottawa on this issue. I have sought legal advice on this, Blaine Higgs confirmed.