Manitoba premier ‘agrees to disagree’ with Trudeau on carbon tax

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused some politicians Thursday of being dishonest concerning the results of the federal authorities’s carbon tax.

The remark, aimed partially at Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, was the most recent chapter in a long-running dispute over carbon pricing between the province and Ottawa.

“What the premier and others throughout the nation don’t appear to be trustworthy about with Canadians is within the locations like Manitoba, the place the federal value on air pollution applies, common households get extra money again from the value on air pollution than the additional value on air pollution prices them,” Trudeau mentioned in Winnipeg, shortly earlier than a half-hour assembly with Stefanson.

“We discovered a manner of combating local weather change whereas supporting households who want that assist, and that’s one thing that we’re going to proceed to do.”

Trudeau’s feedback had been in response to calls for from Stefanson to briefly droop the carbon tax to assist folks take care of inflation. She despatched a joint letter earlier this 12 months with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe that urged Trudeau to take motion.

Following the assembly, Stefanson mentioned she and Trudeau mentioned the difficulty however remained at odds. She mentioned suspending the tax can be extra useful than gathering it then offering rebates.

“Manitobans want that cash now. So moderately than taking the cash away from them and going by means of rebates and all this, simply go away the cash with them,” she mentioned.

Trudeau additionally battled with Stefanson’s predecessor, Brian Pallister, over carbon pricing. The province’s Progressive Conservative authorities had deliberate to implement its personal carbon tax in 2017, however withdrew it after Ottawa mentioned the provincial tax was not excessive sufficient.

The federal Liberal authorities then imposed its personal “backstop” system. It provides to the value of gasoline, pure gasoline and different items then refunds cash by means of rebate cheques.

Manitoba took the difficulty to court docket and argued that the federal authorities had no proper to impose the backstop. The Federal Courtroom sided with Ottawa final 12 months.

Earlier Thursday, the 4 Atlantic premiers despatched a letter to the federal authorities requesting a short-term extension to submit plans for their very own carbon pricing methods. The letter mentioned added prices of the tax would amplify inflationary pressures in Atlantic Canada.

Ottawa’s deadline for provinces to submit their plans is Friday.

Stefanson’s Tories have been working extra harmoniously with the federal authorities on a number of fronts, together with a latest settlement to improve the rail line to Churchill within the province’s north. The 2 governments are additionally working collectively on growing immigration ranges, Stefanson mentioned.

Nonetheless, there are different factors of competition. Stefanson has criticized the federal authorities’s plan to chop fertilizer emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. That difficulty was mentioned throughout the assembly, Stefanson mentioned, and she or he and the prime minister proceed to disagree.

Throughout his daylong go to to Winnipeg, Trudeau additionally met with nursing college students at Universite de Saint-Boniface in a mock hospital room with absolutely geared up beds and mannequins for sufferers.

Trudeau then visited with mother and father and children at a child-care centre.