Tories stick to anti-carbon tax plan

The Ontario PCS say they’re glued to their gas pump sticker campaign against the federal carbon tax.

Energy Minister Greg Rickford said the mandatory program will continue despite opposition MPPS pointing out that the recent federal election campaign gave the edge to procarbon tax parties.

The carbon pricing plan imposed by the federal government goes after the wrong targets — families, seniors, publicly-funded institutions — that still use gaspowered assets to move people and products around, he said.

“It’s a regressive tax; it’s essentially increased the price of everything,” the minister said Monday.

Premier Doug Ford suggested in August that the outcome of the federal campaign — the decision of voters — might impact the province’s ongoing legal challenge of the federal plan.

In the Ontario legislature Oct. 28, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath asked Ford why he persisted with a $30-million campaign against the carbon tax when he previously said he respected democracy and would stop spending public money and resources if the Conservatives lost.

Ford said he was elected on a pledge to fight carbon taxes and he remains committed to that promise.

“We didn’t run on increasing gas prices by 35 cents a litre. It’s unaffordable. We didn’t run on making the carbon tax that will cost families another $700 more a year. They just can’t afford it,” Ford said. “We have a great environment plan. We’re going to hit the Paris Accord targets of 30 per cent.”

The PC anti-carbon tax pump stickers, which gas stations are required by law to post, do not mention a rebate by the federal government to the majority of Ontario citizens.