Canada’s environment minister took aim at Premier Doug Ford during a town hall discussion on climate change, criticizing his cancellation of the province’s cap-and-trade carbon pricing scheme.
“The first thing that premier Ford did was to get rid of a price on pollution and make it free to pollute, cut all these programs that were supporting businesses, schools, hospitals to reduce their emissions, to save money, to be more energy efficient,” Catherine McKenna said in Mississauga, Ont., Wednesday evening.
Ford is challenging the federal government’s plan to implement a carbon tax for provinces that have not established their own, including Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
He has earmarked $30 million to fight the tax in court.
“That’s $30 million that could be fighting climate change,” McKenna said.
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The Liberals, who are being dogged by the SNC-Lavalin saga and tensions with China, amped up their message on climate change this week ahead of the October election.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto for a rally on climate action. The government also launched a series of radio ads in each of the four provinces where the new tax is being imposed.
McKenna told the audience in Mississauga that 90 per cent of the funds raised will be rebated back to Canadians.
According to the ads, an average family of four will receive more than $600 this year in Saskatchewan, more than $300 in Ontario and Manitoba and more than $250 in New Brunswick.
The price on carbon emissions starts at $20 per tonne this year, rising by $10 per tonne annually until it hits $50 in 2022.
With files from the Canadian Press
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