It’s promising to be an epic battle, Justin Trudeau versus the growing number of conservative premiers in Canada opposed to the carbon tax.

Saskatchewan and Ontario Premiers promise to fight federal carbon tax

On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford held a joint news conference with Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe to discuss a push for free trade between the two provinces. At least that was the excuse for the meeting and news conference.

The real reason, and target, was Trudeau and his carbon tax. “If Justin Trudeau gets his way we will all be paying higher gas prices, higher home heating costs, higher everything,” Ford said. By repeatedly calling Trudeau’s carbon tax a scam, Ford hammered it at every turn. “How can you believe a politician who says they will save you money by raising your taxes?” Ford asked. Moe was equally vocal in blasting Trudeau. “Last Tuesday’s announcement by the federal government exposed this Trudeau carbon tax for the sham that it really is,” Moe said. Neither man is buying what Trudeau is selling. Both premiers have launched their own respective court challenges against the tax. While Ford and Moe aren’t shy about taking on Trudeau, neither is the PM afraid to take on Ford, Moe and others.

Trudeau paints Conservatives as greatest threat to climate change

Recently Trudeau cabinet ministers have been saying that the greatest threat to climate change action in Canada is the collection of conservative leaning politicians coming out against the carbon tax. Trudeau is actually claiming that a carbon tax will help grow the economy and lead to a “bright future” for Canada. “Critics are afraid of this bright future,” Trudeau told a gathering of school children in Ottawa. “They look only to our past, rallying Canadians to make pollution free again.” That is part of Trudeau’s total plan, change the language, fight against conservative leaning politicians. He never uses the words carbon tax and has even dropped his former euphemism of “price on carbon” in favour of the new “price on pollution.” The rebates Trudeau is promising for those paying the carbon tax are not called rebates but rather “carbon action incentives.” He may not want to use plain language on what he is forcing on Canadians but I can tell you that he wants a fight on this issue.

Rebates are not the answer

Trudeau plans on making the next election all about the carbon tax. He will paint it as a moral issue, about those that want to make pollution free and those that want to make polluters pay. Of course he will avoid discussing the fact that the price of just about everything will go up due to his carbon tax. Not just gas in your car or the fuel that heats your home in the winter but pretty much everything that is moved by truck, rail or ship. The pair of jeans you are wearing, the chicken or carrots you will have for dinner will all have to go up in price. Trudeau promises that you will get a rebate, paid once a year, through your taxes. It won’t be based on what you actually paid but rather be based off of your income. So anyone that lives in rural areas or far off suburbs and has to commute long distances will be paying more. And will that once a year rebate on your taxes really quell the anger people will feel as they watch the price of gas, groceries and food go up? The next election will see Trudeau promising to make life more expensive for Canadians while federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer along with premiers like Ford and Moe will be campaigning to make life more affordable. I know which direction I would go. Trudeau thinks he has a winning issue for 2019, let’s hope he is wrong.