Enbridge says a planned survey of Ontario customers requesting feedback on heat pumps versus new gas hookups should be rejected because the federal carbon price could be repealed.
“As Canada draws closer to the next federal election on or before Oct. 20, 2025, the Conservative Party of Canada — which has been leading most federal election opinion polls since mid-2023 — opposes a federally imposed carbon tax or cap-and-trade system, including the current federal carbon charge,” Enbridge told the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) regulator on Jan. 18.
Enbridge has applied to the OEB to expand its gas grid across the province in communities like Bobcaygeon, Sanford, Eganville and Neustadt. Hearings into the expansion plans began over a year ago and are ongoing.
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Since the hearings began, the survival of the carbon price, a key plank of the reigning federal Liberal party’s climate policy, has been seriously jeopardized. Since its adoption in 2019, it has been under fire from Conservatives, but as cost-of-living issues become more important to voters, it is now under immense pressure from the right-wing and beyond.
At the hearings, Enbridge noted that since the federal government paused the carbon price on home heating oil in November, several premiers have begun calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to remove the carbon price on all forms of home heating, which includes gas. Enbridge even cites Saskatchewan’s decision to break federal law by not collecting the carbon price from customers as evidence the policy is under threat.
Enbridge has filed its own evidence with the regulator showing demand for gas is growing, but not everyone finds the evidence credible.
That’s why climate advocacy group Environmental Defence wants to inform residents about the environmental and cost benefits of heat pumps versus gas hookups and collect feedback to provide the regulator with customer preference information that doesn’t come from Enbridge.
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But the gas giant is arguing the proposed survey should be inadmissible because Environmental Defence didn’t say it would inform customers about the possibility the carbon price could be repealed. If that happens, it would slightly change the cost-benefit analysis of customers switching to heat pumps, Enbridge stated.
In a letter to the OEB, Kent Elson on behalf of Environmental Defence said the group would like to retain a public opinion research firm to carry out community surveys to “gauge the likely number of [gas] connections and to test the survey and customer connection forecast evidence submitted by Enbridge.” That potential survey would offer residents more information, include annual costs of having gas versus heat pumps, and ask customers their likelihood of switching between sources.
“It’s unfortunate that Enbridge seems to be banking on a repeal of carbon pricing, and that they don’t want a survey out there that talks up the benefits of heat pumps, both from an economic perspective and an environmental perspective.” #onpoli
“By providing the survey respondents with accurate and unbiased information, we believe the survey would produce much more robust results on which to estimate the number of customers that are likely to connect to the gas system,” Elson wrote. “In the very least, it would provide the OEB with a different perspective from Enbridge’s.”
Despite the Trudeau government repeatedly stating there will be no further exemptions on the carbon price, Enbridge doesn’t buy it.
“There exists real political and public policy risk regarding the federal carbon charge, as changes relating to its application have already transpired and more changes are possible,” Enbridge wrote.
Because Environmental Defence didn’t say it planned to alert customers to these political risks, Enbridge argues the survey would be biased against gas. But evidence before the regulator contradicts Enbridge’s claims. Even without a carbon price on gas, heat pumps are already more affordable than gas over the life of the equipment.
Enbridge did not return a request for comment.
Environmental Defence programs director Keith Brooks told Canada’s National Observer it appears Enbridge is “pursuing any and all means to be able to continue to expand its gas network and hook up new customers to gas.”
“It’s unfortunate that Enbridge seems to be banking on a repeal of carbon pricing and that they don’t want a survey out there that talks up the benefits of heat pumps, both from an economic perspective and an environmental perspective,” he said.
The regulatory skirmish comes as Enbridge attempts to gain approval for a multibillion-dollar expansion plan to be paid for by existing customers through higher gas rates.
Last month, the regulator ordered that developers pay upfront for the cost of new gas infrastructure rather than putting customers on the hook, as a way to protect ratepayers through the energy transition. But the day after that ruling, Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith pledged to throw his government’s weight behind reversing the order in a move experts told Canada’s National Observer would push up the cost of building new homes.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
