The real cost of Trudeau's Carbon Tax

The Supreme Court of Canada recently ruled that the federal government can impose a Carbon Tax. As Justin Trudeau prepares his victory lap, it's important to remember that there is one question the Supreme Court did not answer: Should the federal government impose a Carbon Tax on Canadians?

This is an important distinction because while Justin Trudeau's Liberals are hiking taxes on everyone for everything, Canadian families and businesses will be the ones who bear the brunt of these rising costs. It is not as though we have a choice of not doing so when winter comes. As such, we are stuck paying more every year to match the escalating price of Trudeau's costly and ineffective Carbon Tax.

The higher costs caused by the Liberal Carbon Tax has an effect on everyone. From higher costs for our farmers, agriculture producers, manufacturers, miners and energy producers, to the increased costs for fuel—which helps us get to work, or go to school—and the truckers who deliver almost everything we need from groceries to clothing and more.

This tax hurts everyone. Unlike other provinces rich in hydroelectricity, in Saskatchewan we rely on different energy sources to light or heat our homes, which often leaves us with higher costs to begin with. A one-size-fits approach can only be to the detriment of many provinces, Saskatchewan being a prime example.

Last election, the Trudeau Liberals promised they would not raise the Carbon Tax. In classic Liberal fashion, they promised one thing before the election and did the opposite after. The Carbon Tax is now climbing and will triple, jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Under Trudeau, Canada's unemployment rate is among the highest in the developed world. Canada is experiencing the worst economic growth since the great depression. It's impossible to understand why Trudeau would choose now, of all times, to increase the burden on Canadians.

Climate action is important, but Canada needs a smart approach that will actually reduce emissions without punishing workers, small businesses, their families, and the most vulnerable.

Canada's Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could impose a carbon tax. But they should not—not if they want to support everyday workers and their families. Justin Trudeau's Liberals need to stop asking whether tripling the Carbon Tax when Canadians are struggling the most is legal and start asking whether it is right, because Canadians can no longer afford it.

Warren Steinley is a Conservative MP for Regina-Lewvan.