Ontario premier joins Kenney at anti-carbon-tax rally
Ontario premier and UCP leader express their opposition to ‘Trudeau’s carbon tax’
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the big blue Conservative machine rolled through Calgary Friday night, as the two politicians joined forces at a rally opposing the federal carbon tax.
Having vowed to legally challenge the federal government’s contentious carbon pricing plan, Ford spoke to nearly 2,000 supporters.
“I look forward to having Jason join (Saskatchewan Premier) Scott Moe, (Manitoba Premier) Brian Pallister and I,” said Ford, referencing the Western Canadian premiers joining his fight against the national carbon tax.
“We’ll all be at the premiers’ table defending common sense and Canadian taxpayers to fight against Trudeau’s carbon tax.
It’s the tax we can’t afford, a job-killing tax that hikes up the price of services and goods and drives up the price of heating your homes.”
The crowd was fierce, cheering on nearly every word that came out of Kenney and Ford’s mouth. Among them were people holding signs saying “scrap the carbon tax” and “renew the Alberta advantage.”
With their own take on the “Make America Great Again” hat worn by U.S. President Donald Trump and his supporters, a few people were seen wearing “Make Alberta Great Again” hats.
“We are always stronger when we are united,” said Ford.
“Moving forward, we will defeat the NDP and bring common sense back to Alberta.”
Calgary is one of several stops on Ford’s national anti-carbon-tax trip since he scrapped Ontario’s cap-and-trade system after taking office in June.
He was most recently in Saskatchewan, where Moe said he would join the fight against the Trudeau government’s “attempted imposition of a carbon tax.”
Manitoba also said this week it no longer intends to impose a $25-per-tonne carbon price this fall.
Last spring, the federally mandated carbon tax legislation was passed, giving authority to impose a carbon price on any province without its own beginning Jan. 1, 2019.
It would see a minimum charge of $20 per tonne, rising $10 per year until 2022.
Primer Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians gave his government a mandate to implement a national carbon price and that’s what he will do.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and her NDP government introduced their own carbon pricing system before Ottawa required it.
They are now refusing to raise it in line with federal requirements, with Notley openly expressing her displeasure with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion constantly left in a state of limbo.