Article content

The Doug Ford government will argue in the courts that a federally imposed carbon pricing program is an unconstitutional tax on Ontarians.

Environment Minister Rod Phillips announced Friday that the provincial government has filed a statement with the Court of Appeal spelling out how it intends to argue against Justin Trudeau’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Federal carbon pricing an 'unconstitutional tax': Phillips Back to video

“Anywhere that there is an opportunity to fight this carbon tax, this regressive job-killing carbon tax, we will be there,” Phillips said.

The Trudeau government has passed a law which requires all provinces in the country to tackle climate change by putting some form of pricing on carbon emissions

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

Under former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals, the province was in compliance because it brought in a cap-and-trade program.

Among Ford’s first actions in government was to scrap cap and trade, calling it a tax on citizens and a drag on the economy because it raised the cost of gasoline, diesel and natural gas.

The Tories have also argued that cap and trade is an ineffective tool in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Ontario plans to put forward the case in court that the provinces are capable of regulating greenhouse gas emissions without help from the federal government, and so there’s no need for Ottawa to “impose a one-size-fits-all” carbon price on Ontarians.

The province doesn’t have a climate change plan in place at this point, but Phillips said it’s coming this fall.

Ontario families and businesses have reduced their carbon footprint by 34% since 1990 without a carbon tax, Phillips said.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

“Ontarians have done a lot and Ontario will continue to do its part,” he said.

The Ford government will also make the case that the federal carbon pricing plan is a tax in disguise because the funds raised don’t necessarily have to be spent on reducing greenhouse gases.

“It is a hidden, unconstitutional tax,” Phillips said.

The minister said he’s prepared to take this case all the way to the Supreme Court.