If the policy fight against a carbon tax were a superhero movie, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall would be Batman – that’s obvious. But it was surprising to see the role of Robin go to Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister. Together, they were the only premiers who refused to sign on to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax scheme at the recent first ministers meeting. (Photo: BillyBy/Flickr/Creative Commons)

Premier Wall attacked the carbon tax head on. He hammered the fact that carbon taxes make everything more expensive without helping the environment, as British Columbia has proven with rising emissions despite its $30 per tonne carbon tax (6.7 cents per litre gas tax). He struck again with the argument that carbon taxes cause many sectors, such as agriculture, to struggle because competitors such as United States have no intention of implementing a carbon tax.

Premier Wall’s arguments were more than mere rhetorical gadgets.

“Since 2010, B.C.’s GHG emissions have increased every year,” said Marc Lee, an economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“With farmers already sinking carbon and improving our environmental footprints every year, it would be a perverse public policy decision to punish us for already achieving the desired outcome,” said Levi Wood, president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers. “I can’t pull my air seeder with a Prius.”

While Premier Wall pounded the prime minister’s carbon tax plan, Premier Pallister snuck in his opposition. He said he wouldn’t sign on to a carbon tax until the federal government addressed healthcare funding issues.

Premier Pallister has a point. Prime Minister Trudeau devoted ample time to hear lame-duck American Vice President Joe Biden expound about climate change policies while trimming time in the schedule for healthcare discussions. Meanwhile, many Manitobans suffer on unacceptably long wait-lists for routine procedures.

There are also political considerations at play. Premier Wall is the nation’s most popular provincial leader with a 58 per cent approval rating largely because of his strong opposition to carbon taxes. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is a political leper with approval ratings falling to 16 per cent as disastrous energy and environmental policies that have sent hydro bills soaring. It doesn’t take a PhD in political science to compare and contrast the consequences of following either example.

There’s also the fact that Premier Pallister doesn’t have the mandate to sign on to a carbon tax scheme. The Progressive Conservative platform includes a vague, 20-word point about developing a made-in-Manitoba plan for carbon pricing. But there’s nothing in there about saddling Manitobans with soaring prices at the pump or hitting them with higher home-heating bills.

In fact, the Manitoba government remains secretive about its specific carbon tax policies. It responded to a freedom-of-information request regarding carbon taxes with a refusal to release anything – not a single page. Even the federal government gave a slight nod to transparency by releasing a heavily censored internal document that acknowledges a carbon tax would “cascade throughout the economy.”

More importantly, Premier Pallister cannot sign on to a carbon tax without calling a referendum. To do so without presenting a clear plan and calling for a vote would be a damning admission that the government isn’t confident that Manitobans support a carbon tax. While the PC platform is vague on carbon pricing, it’s crystal clear that Manitobans have the right to vote on all “major” tax increases and there’s nothing minor about a carbon tax.

Confidence is one of the biggest differences between Batman and Robin. In the fight against carbon taxes, Premier Wall is absolutely certain he has the strong support of Saskatchewanians for his opposition to a carbon tax, while Premier Pallister continues to struggle with his stance on the unpopular policy. Hopefully, Premier Wall can count on Premier Pallister to take a stronger stand next time Prime Minister Trudeau demands their signatures on a carbon tax scheme.