Taxpayers Federation goes to court to fight Ottawa's carbon tax
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EDMONTON, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation opposed the carbon tax in the Alberta Court of Appeal today.
“Carbon taxes will cost Albertans a lot of money without helping the environment and our lawyers made strong arguments on behalf of taxpayers in court today,” said Franco Terrazzano, Alberta Director for the CTF. “We applaud Premier Jason Kenney for sticking up for Albertans and giving taxpayers a shot at defeating Ottawa’s tax in the courts.”
The CTF’s lawyer 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 vote, but, according to the constitution, only Parliament has the right to impose taxes on Canadians.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to impose the federal carbon tax on Albertans on Jan. 1, 2020. The federal carbon tax will cost 4 cents per litre of gasoline, increasing to 11 cents per litre in 2022.
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 seven years. Canada only produces 1.6 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions so a carbon tax here won’t have an impact – a point even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognizes.
“Even if Canada stopped everything tomorrow, and the other countries didn’t have any solutions, it wouldn't make a big difference,” said Trudeau on Tout Le Monde En Parle.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation presented arguments regarding carbon taxes in the Ontario and Saskatchewan courts and is the only non-government third-party opposing the carbon tax at the Alberta Court of Appeal and at the at the Supreme Court of Canada.
“The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is proud to stand with the overwhelming majority of Albertans to defeat Ottawa’s carbon tax,” said Terrazzano.