Five premiers, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, have written a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In the letter, they urged him to remove the carbon tax from all forms of home heating. The premiers are calling for equitable treatment for all Canadians.
The letter was posted on social media by several of the premiers and comes after Trudeau put a pause on home heating oil, a move that benefits Atlantic Canada where 30 percent of homes rely on oil for heat. Despite calls to eliminate the tax on all forms of home heating, Trudeau has rejected these requests. The premiers argue that the tax is not fair to Canadians and has caused divisions across the country.
According to the premiers, it is vital that federal policies and programs be made available to all Canadians in a fair and equitable way. They are calling for the federal government to remove the federal carbon tax from all forms of home heating to help address the affordability concerns faced by families across the country.
The premier’s letter follows a joint statement by the provincial finance ministers, which said that Trudeau’s decision to pause the tax on home heating oil has created jurisdictional imbalances. They also urged the federal government to eliminate the carbon tax to ensure fairness and ease financial pressure on Canadians. Additionally, they have called for a meeting with the prime minister to discuss the issue.
A recent poll found that 57 percent of Canadians surveyed want the carbon tax removed from all home heating sources. The premiers are advocating for fair treatment for all Canadians and are urging Trudeau to consider their requests.