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“We need to figure out what it’s going to look like, how we’re going to move forward on this because there are different systems. But we haven’t prejudged this. We have not set a price,” McKenna said Friday in a meeting with the Ottawa Citizen editorial board.

“That’s going to be part of the conversation that’s going to start at the first ministers meeting.”

McKenna said she disagrees with Wall over timing on establishing a national carbon price, arguing the country shouldn’t wait any longer. The world is moving toward clean energy and greener economies, and Canada can’t afford to miss out, she said.

“This is the way we are going, and, in fact, I see it as the opposite (of Wall). This is the opportunity to move to a lower-carbon economy, to create new jobs, to foster innovation,” she said.

“The challenge right now for Saskatchewan, and Alberta and for Newfoundland and Labrador, which I’m not at all diminishing, is the low commodity prices,” she added.

“Because we have a price on carbon, that doesn’t address the low commodity prices. What we’re trying to do is create the right incentives so that we tackle climate change, reduce emissions, but also foster innovation in natural resource development, but also in renewables.”

Trudeau and Canada’s premiers will discuss the federal strategy at a first ministers meeting in Vancouver on March 3.

McKenna said Trudeau and the premiers will create “work streams” for developing the national climate strategy, including one on carbon pricing, and that officials will report back to first ministers within six months to “show a clear path to reducing emissions.”