Following her election on December 7 as the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Cindy Woodhouse vowed to support the demands by chiefs in Ontario for a judicial review of Canada’s carbon price. The Chiefs of Ontario, representing 133 First Nations, had asked the Federal Court to undertake a judicial review of the federal government’s carbon pricing system. Ms. Woodhouse expressed her willingness to support the application at a news conference in Ottawa shortly after her election. The Ontario chiefs argue that the carbon price is discriminatory, citing its rebate mechanism as being tied to the federal income tax system, which many who live and work on reserves do not use.
The chiefs’ application came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposed a three-year carbon exemption on home heating oil, a dominant fuel in Atlantic Canada. Ms. Woodhouse’s support for the demand signals her commitment to addressing the concerns of First Nations communities regarding the carbon pricing system and her willingness to work towards a fair and inclusive resolution.