St. John’s, NL – The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey to join other premiers in starting a new legal challenge against the federal carbon tax.

“Furey has become an outspoken critic of the federal carbon tax over the past year, and now he has a chance to beat it in court,” said Devin Drover, CTF Atlantic Director and General Counsel. “Since the Trudeau government made carve-outs that disproportionately benefit some parts of the country, it has torpedoed the legal rationale originally used to justify a national carbon tax.

“The federal carbon tax no longer has a legal leg to stand on and Furey should defend Newfoundlanders and Labradorians by taking this battle to court.”

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

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

The carve-out disproportionately affects households in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, where residents are twice as likely to use furnance oil to heat their homes than a Newfoundland and Labrador household.

More than 80 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians continue to pay the federal carbon tax to heat their homes.

The federal carbon tax is estimated to cost the provincial economy $143 million this year, or about $274 per person.

“The carbon tax makes it more expensive for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to heat their homes and fuel up their vehicles, all while costing the economy millions,” Drover said. “Furey must take this opportunity to join other provinces and fight the carbon tax in court.”