SASKATOON — The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on both Sask Party leader Scott Moe and NDP leader Carla Beck to commit to join the government of New Brunswick’s legal challenge against the federal carbon tax.

“Both Moe and Beck rightly oppose the federal carbon tax, but they need to take the next step and commit to joining this renewed court fight against the carbon tax,” says Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie director. “The carbon tax makes it more expensive for Saskatchewan families to fuel their cars and fill their fridges and Saskatchewan’s leaders need to stand up to Ottawa and fight it.”

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced that if re-elected, his government will launch a renewed legal challenge against the federal carbon tax, the CTF points out, adding that, last year, the federal government announced it is removing the carbon tax from furnace oil for three years, but not exempting other forms of home heating fuel.

The federal carbon tax “carve-outs violate the Supreme Court’s ruling, and the tax makes gas, groceries, and essential services more expensive,” according to the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.

The CTF says the carbon tax currently costs 17 cents per litre of gasoline and 21 cents per litre of diesel. The federal government plans to increase the carbon tax to 37 cents per litre of gasoline and 45 cents per litre of diesel by 2030. 

The carbon tax will cost the Saskatchewan economy $476 million this year, based on data published by Environment and Climate Change Canada, says the CTF

“Saskatchewanians need to know that provincial politicians have their backs and will fight to make their lives more affordable,” says Haubrich. “The federal government isn’t enforcing the carbon tax equally across Canada. It’s wrong for Ottawa to unfairly punish Saskatchewan and we need to fight back in court.”