Justin Trudeau’s environmental plan: details will follow collaboration

Watch: Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau he will treat the environment like medicare if he becomes prime minister; the government will set targets and provinces will decide how to reach them.

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s idea to create national targets for carbon emission reductions would not create a national price on carbon, but would rely on provinces buying into the idea, the Liberal Leader said.

In an interview on The West Block with Tom Clark, Trudeau was asked how he would intend to enforce the national environmental standard he proposed Friday — the first detailed policy Trudeau has announced since becoming leader in April 2013.

READ MORE: Trudeau talks environment, economy at Canadian Club in Calgary

“At the centre of this proposal is an understanding that in order to develop a strong economy … is the need to be strong on environmental oversight and strong on emissions reductions,” he said.

Should he become prime minister following this year’s general election, Trudeau said his priority would be to sit down with the provinces and together set national environmental goals, but leave it to the provinces to decide how to achieve them.

But that’s about as far as the plan goes for now. Details such as the cost and overall targets of the program, for example, will only become available after Trudeau sits down with the premiers, he said.

While Trudeau didn’t indicate he would have any methods to force provinces to take part, he indicated confidence the provinces would take part, likening his policy idea to medicare, which began at the provincial level.

“I think one of the things we’ve seen is that provinces right across the country … have actually indicated yes, we need to price carbon, we need to move forward with mechanisms to reduce our emissions,” Trudeau said.

The only thing that’s missing, the Liberal Leader said, is leadership from the federal government.