Today’s Supreme Court ruling upholding Ottawa’s carbon pricing is being called a win for climate activists looking for stronger fiscal incentives to curb pollution. But it’s also being called a loss for fiercely independent provinces that insist the federal guidelines are nothing more than meddling.
Canada’s top court struck down the challenge brought by Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario and said in its ruling that climate change is a threat to Canada.
In its 6-3 decision, the top court ruled the federal government’s carbon pricing system is constitutional, a blow to the provincial governments that had argued efforts to mitigate pollution should be handled at the provincial jurisdiction.
Under the now constitutionally-approved Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the federal government can determine which provinces do not have an adequate emissions-pricing scheme of their own and impose a tax. Citizens are sent rebates under the Climate Action Incentive to cover any increased costs at the gas pump or on energy bills.
Here are some of the reactions to today’s decision from political circles around the country:
British Columbia
Terry Beech, federal MP for Burnaby North-Seymour, says the decision means that Canada has an opportunity to be a world leader in reduction of carbon emissions, much like he said B.C. has been a leader in Canada as the first jurisdiction in North America to implement carbon pricing.
“We were the first jurisdiction in North America to implement carbon pricing and we’ve proven that it works,” he told CBC.
“This ruling today is going to ensure that Canadian businesses and Canadians are going to be incentivized to grow a more sustainable green economy. And that’s going to lead to entrepreneurial activities for a really high demand, clean energy, clean tech sector that B.C. has already led in because they’ve led in carbon pricing.”
Alberta
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney rejected the idea that the ruling is a loss for the province and defended his government’s independent approach to mitigating climate change.
“We now have a third of the Supreme court of Canada validating our position. We didn’t get a majority, but it’s clear that the position taken not just by Alberta but by six of the provinces representing 80 per cent of Canada’s population was a strong and credible position.
“It’s a challenge that had to be made,” Kenney said, telling a news conference that his government would “continue to keep our election commitment to defend our powers and our economy.
WATCH | Kenney discusses the SCC ruling:
Jason Kenney expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court’s decision in favour of the federal Liberals’ carbon tax 1:18
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the carbon pricing, which he called a tax, is punitive for the people in his province.
He said that the ruling has far-reaching implications for federal intrusion into areas of provincial jurisdiction and called carbon pricing “a blunt, ineffective instrument that kills job[s], threatens the competitiveness of our industries and penalizes essential, daily activities of families across our province.”
WATCH | Saskatchewan premier comments on the ruling:
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says federal Liberals’ carbon tax is costly and ineffective. 1:26
Manitoba
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says the province is still moving forward with its own legal challenge of the federal carbon tax, despite the Supreme Court ruling.
Pallister said the federal government’s plan is tailored to provinces that have a more urban-based economy, and it would profoundly hurt Manitobans since the province is made up of mostly rural and northern communities.
“Manitoba has demonstrated a commitment, we have developed our own plan and we are implementing it,” he said. “So we don’t believe that the federal government has a right to jump overtop of what Manitobans have worked so hard on.”
Ontario
Jeff Yurek, Ontario Minister of the Environment, said while the ruling was not the outcome the province sought, the decision of the highest court in the country will be respected.
“We’re disappointed at the decision from the Supreme Court,” Yurek said. “But, you know, we are going to move forward with our plan for the environment, which is reducing our emissions 30 per cent before 2005 levels.”
New Brunswick
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says the legal debate over carbon pricing is over in Canada, and that it’s time to find a way to make the fight against climate change fair for all provinces.
Higgs told reporters it’s likely that the provinces that took the case to court and have refused to create their own carbon prices will now follow his lead and craft their own versions.
“Once you’ve exhausted the legal process, there comes a time when you have to look within and say ‘How can I best mitigate the losses or the impact on the citizens of my province?’ And I’m sure they’ll do that.”
Ottawa
According to federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, the issue around whether carbon pricing forms part of Canada’s plan with respect to reducing emissions is over and that the government would be moving forward with a carbon price.
“I look forward to having those conversations with all my counterparts as to how we actually do that in an effective way,” he said.
“It’s bizarre to me, to be honest with you, that conservatives in this country are opposed to a market-based mechanism that is the most efficient way to reduce carbon pollution.”
Laurel Collins, the NDP Critic for Environment and Climate Change says the ruling is welcome, but that Canadians are still worried about the climate crisis and lack of meaningful action from the federal Liberal government.
“I think Canadians see really clearly the hypocrisy of a government who declares a climate emergency one day and buys a pipeline the next year,” she said.
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul noted on Twitter that while a carbon tax is part of tackling climate change, it isn’t a complete plan.
“We can’t continue to frack gas and build pipelines and hope to meet our targets.”
The Supreme Court has ruled the carbon tax is constitutional. It’s an important step in the right direction. But while a carbon tax is part of tackling climate change, it isn’t a complete plan. We can’t continue to frack gas & build pipelines & hope to meet our targets <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#cdnpoli</a>
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toolesaid in a statement that his party would repeal what he called Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax.
“We will protect the environment and fight the reality of climate change, but we won’t do it by making the poorest pay more.”
Delegates vote on party constitution items at the Conservative Party of Canada national policy convention in Halifax on Friday. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)
Last weekend, delegates at the Conservative Party’s policy convention voted down a resolution that would have included the line “climate change is real” in the party’s official policy document.
O’Toole said he stood by an earlier commitment to present a plan to address climate change ahead of the next federal election.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
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