TORONTO, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to launch a new legal challenge against the federal carbon tax.

“Ford has rightly opposed the federal carbon tax for years, but now he has a new chance to beat it in court,” said CTF Ontario Director Jay Goldberg. “Since the Trudeau government is offering carbon tax carve-outs that disproportionately benefit some parts of the country, it has torpedoed the legal rationale originally used to justify the carbon tax.

“The federal carbon tax no longer has a legal leg to stand on and Ford should defend Ontario taxpayers by going back to court.”

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has pledged to launch a new legal challenge against the carbon tax, focusing on Ottawa’s home heating carve-outs announced last year. 

The federal government announced it is removing the carbon tax from furnace oil for three years last fall, but did not exempt other forms of home heating fuel.

The carve-out disproportionately affects Atlantic Canadians, as only two per cent of Ontario households use furnace oil to heat their homes.

“The carbon tax makes it more expensive for Ontarians to heat their homes and fill up at the pumps, all while costing the economy billions,” said Goldberg. “Ford needs to take this new opportunity to join other provinces and fight the carbon tax in court.”

The average Ontario home uses 2,497 cubic metres of natural gas per year. That means removing the current federal carbon tax would save the average home about $381 this year.

At the gas pump, Ontarians are now paying over 17 cents per litre in carbon taxes, costing families $15 every time they fill up a minivan.

The carbon tax will also cost the Ontario economy $4.1 billion this year, according to data published by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“Ontarians need the Ford government to fight to make life more affordable and that means fighting the Trudeau carbon tax,” said Goldberg. “By playing favourites, Trudeau is undermining his own rationale for creating a federal carbon tax. It’s time to fight back in court.”