More than 94 per cent of Conservative Party of Canada members in Manitoba voted against Michael Chong and his carbon tax policy on the first ballot of the federal Tory leadership race.

Premier Brian Pallister should carefully consider the Conservative faithful’s emphatic rejection of the only federal leadership candidate to promote a carbon tax. Right now Premier Pallister is siding with Chong and supporting a carbon tax for Manitoba. But that puts him in direct opposition his federal and provincial counterparts, Conservative Party members and the majority of Manitobans.

Newly elected federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is unambiguous about his stance on carbon taxes.

“The Liberal carbon tax is nothing more than a cash grab,” said Scheer during his victory speech. “I will repeal it.”

Scheer’s message is reverberating among federal Conservatives in Manitoba.

“The Liberal carbon tax will raise the price on everything,” said Brandon-Souris Conservative Member of Parliament Larry Maguire. “Rural Canadians and farm families will particularly feel the financial pain as it unduly affects their way of life.”

“I will continue to fight in Ottawa against all new taxes, including a costly new carbon tax,” said Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen.

“We know it’s going to cost Canadians thousands of dollars a year if the carbon tax is unilaterally implemented across Canada,” said Provencher MP Ted Falk.

Manitoba’s prairie neighbours are equally opposed to a carbon tax.

“I will NOT sign any agreement that includes a national carbon tax,” said Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall.

“I would start by repealing the NDP’s job-killing carbon tax, they have no democratic mandate to impose it, it means no measurable environmental gain but a lot of economic pain,” said Alberta Conservative leader Jason Kenney regarding his priorities if he becomes premier.

Pallister is putting himself in an absurd position. Through his carbon tax policy, he’s aligning with Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley, Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne and Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. As his neighbour and former Conservative colleagues in House of Commons, Wall, Scheer and Kenney lead the fight to resist and repeal the carbon tax, is Pallister really going to fight to save it?

Worst of all, Manitobans themselves oppose a carbon tax. A Mainstreet Research poll found that 50 per cent of Manitobans oppose a carbon tax while 39 per cent support the scheme and 11 per cent are unsure. An overwhelming 60 per cent of Manitobans say Pallister should keep his promise to hold a referendum before imposing a major tax such as a carbon tax.

All of this puts Conservative MLAs in a difficult position. The Manitobans who voted for them oppose a carbon tax. Those voters are well aware that federal Conservatives and those in other provinces are actively opposing a carbon tax. What is a Manitoba Conservative MLA going to tell those voters when it’s time to knock on doors before the next election?

Political consultants might tell those worried MLAs to relax. Who else are Conservative voters going to support? Pallister and the NDP are in lock step on carbon taxes so there are no alternatives. But that’s the kind of arrogant disregard of the base that turns incumbent MLAs into defeated MLAs when their supporters and volunteers become disillusioned and sit out the campaign.

Pallister seems convinced that he can sell his base on the idea of a carbon tax. That’s what Chong tried in the federal Conservative leadership race and only one out of 20 Conservative Party members from Manitoba supported him. Perhaps Pallister has a plan to avoid the same fate. But if he’s wrong, Conservative MLAs may pay a high price.