By Liam Verster

Carbon Tax ruled as constitutional

Warkentin hopes ruling on Carbon Tax won’t set precedent for other provincial matters

Mar 29, 2021 | 12:18 PM

The Member of Parliament for Grande Prairie-Mackenzie says he’s not surprised with the Supreme Court ruling that the federal carbon tax is consitutional, but is worried for what it’s impacts will be in the future.

Chris Warkentin says as the three judges who voted against the decision on Thursday, that this ruling invades provincial authorities.

“The bigger issue definitely is the issue of provincial autonomy and the ability of the province’s to have what their constitutional responsibilities are and the ability to maneuver within those constitutional provisions,” says Warkentin.

“When Canada was brought together, when provinces signed on to confederation it was with the understanding that there were certain things that the federal government would not have authority over, or would not be able to dictate to the provinces. We are a federation, a willing federation of provinces, and I think decisions like this really start to cause provinces to wonder what their place is in confederation and if in fact those constitutional carve-outs and provisions really will continue to hold.”

He adds he hopes this doesn’t create a precedent for the federal government to get involved in other matters that under provincial jurisdiction, including health care, education and economic development.

The federal carbon tax is set to increase to $40 per tonne on April 1, and will continue to incrementally increase by $10 each year through to 2030, when the price will be set at $170 per tonne.

Warkentin says he expects this will become a huge burden for Canadian industries such as agriculture and forestry, and is strongly in support of exemptions for those sectors and producers, as these taxes will likely lead to Canada being less competitive on the global markets against countries that don’t have these sorts of levies .

“Our producers and our manufacturers have to compete on a world-price system. We don’t get a higher price because we have higher costs when it comes to the carbon tax,” said Warkentin. “The farmers here have to take the same price the American farmers get, and when our farmers are punished with additional taxes, in this case exorbitant numbers that we’re seeing proposed by the federal government in tripling the carbon tax (by 2030).

“In terms of getting our product to market, it’s going to be devastating for Canadian farmers, it’s going to be devastating for lumber producers, and for other groups that have to compete on the world market for the pricing that they take.”

He also adds that this tax will disproportionately impact Canadians living in rural and northern communities.

“Places like the Peace Country – there’s no option, people have to drive to work, people, especially those on fixed incomes and the elderly, have to drive to their doctors appointment, have to drive to get places,” said Warkentin. “They can’t catch a bus if they live an hour of out Grande Prairie. They can’t convert their home heating system into a solar or windmill provision.”

Warkentin says he and the Conservative Party will continue to oppose the carbon tax, and fight to re-establish provincial autonomy in the hopes of driving job creation.

READ MORE: In split decision, Supreme Court says the federal carbon price is constitutional