TORONTO, ON:  The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is standing with the Ontario government as it challenges the federal government’s proposed carbon tax at the Court of Appeal. 

“Premier Doug Ford is standing up for Ontario taxpayers by taking Ottawa to court to block a federally imposed carbon tax,” said Christine Van Geyn, the CTF’s Ontario Director. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won’t provide evidence to show a carbon tax will help the environment. But we do know that this new tax will give the government more power to suck money out of the wallets of Ontario families and businesses, and this is a tax that will keep going up over time.

“Telling Ontario taxpayers that the carbon tax is a tax that will save them money is like telling someone you’ll make them rich by spending all their money.”

While there’s always a range of possible outcomes in court, University of Saskatchewan constitutional law expert Dwight Newman told the Financial Post that provinces opposing a carbon tax have “more of a case than a lot of people are giving them credit for.”

The government of Saskatchewan has also filed a separate court challenge to the federal carbon tax and the CTF is also seeking intervenor status in that action. New Brunswick announced yesterday that they are also intervening in the Saskatchewan fight. Manitoba is opposed to the federally imposed carbon tax.

“Prime Minister Trudeau has launched and abandoned numerous policies from electoral reform to tax changes for small businesses,” said Van Geyn. “A carbon tax is Prime Minister Trudeau’s most audacious policy scheme, but he’s already delayed it for a year and the opposition to a carbon keeps growing stronger. Even a delay in the courts could derail the federal carbon tax scheme.

“Premier Ford’s most important job is to stand up for Ontarians and voters made it clear this past June that they oppose a carbon tax, so it’s time to take a stand in the courts.”