Feb. 13, 2019

REGINA, Sask.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation opposed the carbon tax in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal today.

“Carbon taxes will cost Canadians a lot of money without helping the environment and our lawyers made strong arguments on behalf of taxpayers in court today,” said Todd MacKay, the CTF’s Prairie Director. “We applaud the Saskatchewan government for bringing this action and giving opponents of this tax a shot at defeating it in court.”

The CTF’s lawyer’s challenged Ottawa’s arguments that a carbon tax is effective. The CTF also argued that a carbon tax is, in fact, a tax, not a “fee” or a “levy” or any other federal creation. Lastly, the CTF challenged the constitutionality of the carbon tax legislation because it allows the prime minister to impose carbon taxes in any region and at any level without letting Members of Parliament a vote, but, according to the constitution, only Parliament has the right to impose taxes on Canadians.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to impose a federal carbon tax on any province that doesn’t already have one. In April, Ottawa plans to start collecting a carbon tax that will start at 4.7 cents per litre of gasoline and rise to 11.6 cents per litre.

British Columbia has the highest carbon tax in Canada, but, according to provincial analysis, the province’s emissions have risen five out of the last six years.

Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Ontario are arguing against the carbon tax, as well as the opposition United Conservative Party from Alberta. The federal government is joined by British Columbia in arguing for the carbon tax.

Nine groups, including the David Suzuki Foundation, are supporting the federal carbon tax in court.

Only two groups are opposing the carbon tax in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal: the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is proud to stand with farmers and the overwhelming majority of Saskatchewanians to fight the carbon tax,” said MacKay. “We’re confident that we’ll win the fight against the carbon tax in the Court of Appeal and the court of public opinion.”