Ontario launching constitutional challenge of federal carbon tax plan
TORONTO Ontario is launching a legal buy canada goose jacket cheap battle against the canada goose uk black friday federal government over its carbon tax plan, a costly move critics say has canada goose factory sale little chance of succeeding.
Canada Goose Parka Environment Minister Rod Phillips and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney made the announcement Thursday, saying they received a clear mandate during the spring election to fight the federal canada goose uk outlet tax for provinces Canada Goose online that don’t have their own carbon pricing system. Canada Goose Parka
canada goose coats Mulroney would not uk canada goose outlet say whether she thought the province could win but denied the legal challenge was simply a Canada Goose Online gesture meant to appease Progressive Conservative supporters. canada goose coats
canada goose “It’s not symbolic for the people of Ontario who want us to do everything that we can to stop the federal Liberals from imposing this tax on them it’s what we were elected to do,” she said. canada goose
The canada goose ministers said the constitutional challenge is in addition to Premier Doug Ford’s decision to join a similar legal battle launched by Saskatchewan. Asked whether the province was spending money on duplicate efforts, Phillips canada goose clearance said he believes Ontario’s arguments would be slightly different from its Prairie peer’s.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, meanwhile, said in a statement Thursday that his government would “strongly consider” joining Ontario’s challenge.
Ford vowed to fight Ottawa’s carbon pricing plan and eliminate Ontario’s cap and trade system during the spring election campaign. His government has since introduced legislation to scrap cap and trade and cancel programs financed through its revenues, which include rebates for energy efficient renovations, transit projects and a fund for school repairs.
canada goose clearance sale The cheap Canada Goose Tory election platform had budgeted $30 million for a carbon tax court challenge, and Mulroney said Thursday she believes it will cost less. canada goose clearance sale
The federal carbon tax is scheduled to kick in on Jan. 1 and experts say the court cases targeting it will not be resolved before that deadline. But canada goose black friday sale they say the timing of the challenges could make it inconvenient for the federal government to impose its plan over the provinces’ objections.
canada goose store “They might be making it more politically contentious for the federal government canada goose clearance sale to move (on this) in a year where they’re hoping to win an election and to canada goose store secure strong support the Toronto Hamilton region in particular,” said Queen’s University professor Kathy Brock, who specializes in issues around federalism. canada goose store
buy canada goose jacket cheap While it’s impossible to predict how the courts will rule, Brock Canada Goose Outlet said the Supreme Court has emphasized in several recent cases the need for the federal and provincial governments to work together. buy canada goose jacket cheap
canadian goose jacket Legal advice requested by the government of Manitoba noted there was a “strong likelihood” the Supreme Court would uphold Ottawa’s carbon pricing system on the basis of the federal government’s taxation power. canadian goose jacket
canada goose black friday sale Allan Hutchinson, a constitutional law expert and professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall law school, said the Supreme Court has ruled that both the federal and provincial governments have jurisdiction over the environment but “the feds sort of hold the trump card.” canada goose black friday sale
Canada Goose online Because environmental issues and pollution can’t be contained by provincial borders, Ottawa can argue it has to canadian goose jacket act on the national scale and “the courts have been sympathetic to that,” he said. Canada Goose online
Canada Goose Outlet Hutchinson Canada Goose sale said often governments will file these kinds of challenges for political, rather than legal, reasons. Canada Goose Outlet
buy canada goose jacket “They let the courts do the dirty work and then say, ‘hey, we did all we could,’ knowing in the first place they were never going to succeed,” he said. buy canada goose jacket
canada goose deals The premier’s provincial opponents, meanwhile, condemned Ford’s decision to turn to the courts in the carbon pricing fight, as did the federal government. canada goose deals
Canada Goose sale At an event in Winnipeg, federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said she was disappointed Ontario was spending millions of taxpayer dollars to fight climate leadership. Canada Goose sale
canada goose clearance McKenna also took to Twitter to criticize the province’s move. canada goose clearance
“It’s now absolutely clear, the Ford gov’t like the Scheer Harper Conservatives has no climate plan. Climate change doesn’t stop with a change in government. And in 2018, no climate plan no plan for the economy. Our kids deserve better,” she wrote.
cheap Canada Goose Ontario’s New Democrats said the Ford government was acting on a “double standard” canada goose uk shop by bristling at federal interference on carbon pricing while, in a separate but buy canada goose jacket ongoing matter, imposing its will on the City of Toronto with legislation to cut city council by 22 seats Canada Goose Parka months from a municipal www.unicorndesigns.ca election. cheap Canada Goose
“I find it quite ironic that we have a government that is now suing the federal government apparently for implementation of a carbon tax, which they have a right to do. But then they’re going around and taking the rights away from Toronto,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said.
canada goose coats on sale “They’re trying to say that the federal government can’t take their rights away yet their taking the rights of Torontonians away.” canada goose coats on sale
Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser questioned the government’s decision to spend taxpayer dollars on what canada goose coats he called a “fruitless exercise,” given the Tories’ insistence on fiscal responsibility.
Canada Goose Jackets “If they’re really serious about protecting the taxpayers’ money then they shouldn’t be spending that money and I think the minister knows it, both ministers,” he said. Canada Goose Jackets
That sentiment was echoed by Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.
“Premier Ford would rather spend money on lawyers than repairing schools, helping people save money by saving energy or helping hospitals lower their utility bills,” he said. “This is a frivolous lawsuit that has no hope of winning and it’s a Canada Goose Coats On Sale complete waste of taxpayer dollars.”.