Norm Miller is fully behind the provincial government’s constitutional challenge of the federal government’s carbon tax plan.
The Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP says the Progressive Conservatives campaigned very clearly on ending the former provincial Liberal government’s Cap and Trade plan as part of their promise to make life more affordable in Ontario. Miller says that was just the first step though.
The provincial government is taking its challenge to the Ontario Court of Appeal. Ontario’s position in court will be that the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act imposes an unconstitutional tax on Ontarians. The government is also supporting Saskatchewan’s fight against the federal carbon tax.
While Miller says he recognizes this court challenge could take some time to work its way through the system, he believes people will start seeing the savings the PC government has promised soon.
Miller believes the time it could take the case to go through the courts could actually benefit the Ontario government’s position. He says that’s because of a changing political landscape in Canada that could include new a conservative government elected in Alberta next spring ahead of the federal election in October of 2019.
$30 million has been budgeted for the legal costs to fight the federal carbon tax, but Miller points out the Attorney General stated the cost would be much less because the government will be using in-house lawyers as much as possible. The PC Government introduced legislation to scrap Ontario’s cap-and-trade system last month.