Later this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with provincial premiers for their annual summer conference, and it promises to be a less-than-congenial get together.
There is certainly no shortage of controversial topics to discuss, ranging from inter-provincial trade, health care and the concerning immigration file, but it seems that the impending federal carbon tax may be the source of some of the most heated debate.
As we recall, the Trudeau government announced it would implement a federal carbon tax in which all provinces would participate, and, initially, a handful of provinces jumped on board.
But with some new players around the premiers’ table, the dynamic has changed considerably.
Ontario’s Doug Ford has already scrapped Ontario’s cap and trade program and vows to fight Trudeau’s carbon tax policy in the courts.
WATCH ABOVE: Doug Ford says his first act as Premier will be to scrap the carbon tax
He has a willing ally in Saskatchewan, but now, Manitoba, Quebec and the Maritime provinces are having second thoughts about carbon taxing and could easily fall offside.
And if Alberta UCP leader Jason Kenny topples Rachel Notley, he’d gladly lead the charge against the carbon tax.
So does the prime minister try to force-feed an unpopular policy to a group of discontented premiers, emboldened by their recent election victories?
It’s a tough call for the prime minister; with a federal election a little more than a year away, a carbon tax may be good policy, but bad politics.
Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.