Moe to appear before Ottawa finance committee ahead of carbon tax hike

Saskatchewan’s premier will get a chance to make his voice heard in Ottawa.

Scott Moe sent a letter Tuesday to the chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, asking to appear before the committee no later than Thursday, ahead of the scheduled increase to the carbon tax which takes effect on Monday.

Similar requests were sent by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Nova Scotia Premier Blaine Higgs, who have both roundly criticized Justin Trudeau’s price on carbon.

The premier said he wants to use the appearance “to make the case as to why the federal government must cancel the planned increase in the federal carbon tax, or better yet, eliminate the federal carbon tax entirely, on everything, for everyone.”

Late Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Moe will appear virtually before the committee on Wednesday morning.

In his letter to Peter Fonseca, Moe said the 23 per cent hike coming at the end of the month will increase the cost of “almost everything,” and will add to the affordability issues for residents and businesses.

Moe’s government recently made the decision to stop collecting and remitting to Ottawa the carbon tax on home heating bills in response to a tax exemption on home heating oil which largely only offers breaks to those in the Atlantic region.

Despite admitting it was a violation of federal law, Moe and his ministers argued that it was the correct course of action, and took steps to shield employees and executives at SaskEnergy from possible legal repercussions.

While the move was criticized as “immoral” and “irresponsible” by Steven Guilbeault, the federal environment minister, Moe made the case in his letter that it was the right decision, especially given the struggles people and businesses are going through in the face of high inflation and interest rates.

Today, I joined other Premiers asking to appear before the House of Commons Finance Committee to discuss the upcoming April 1st Trudeau-NDP carbon tax hike. pic.twitter.com/TpG5WbikSz

— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) March 26, 2024

“Our government’s decision to stop collecting the federal carbon tax on natural gas and electricity used for home heating led to an immediate decrease in inflation as confirmed by Statistics Canada,” Moe wrote.

“With April 1st just one week away, I look forward to your prompt response.”

Meanwhile, dozens of Canadian economists are issuing an ardent defence of the carbon tax.

The economists released an open letter in response to the intense political rhetoric, with 80 academics from across the country signing on as of Tuesday afternoon.

The letter says signatories support healthy public debate, but it should be based on facts and sound evidence.

The economists say several arguments against the carbon price are based on myths, and the levy is actually the least-costly way to reach Canada’s climate goals.

The letter says the most vocal opponents of the policy have not said how they would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions at a lower cost.

— With files from The Canadian Press