Trudeau outsmarts opponents on carbon pricing – by John Ivison (National Post – October 4, 2016)

http://news.nationalpost.com/

When it was first elected, this Liberal government was like a bull wearing hobnail boots on the climate change file. Now it seems to be creeping toward its targets on cat’s paws.

All provinces and territories will be obliged to set a minimum price of $10 a tonne of carbon emitted in 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons Monday, rising $10 each year to $50 per tonne in 2022.

“Pollution crosses borders, so all provinces must do their part,” he said. There were nonetheless splutters of outrage from some provincial capitals as he confirmed the federal government will impose a minimum price on provinces or territories that don’t initiate one themselves.

Brad Wall, the most outspoken of Trudeau’s provincial critics, accused the prime minister of showing “disrespect” by unilaterally announcing a carbon tax even as the country’s environment ministers were meeting in Montreal to discuss a “collaborative climate change plan.”

Wall pointed out Canada is plowing ahead with carbon pricing without having any clear idea what is going to happen in the U.S. “In the coming weeks, Saskatchewan will investigate all options to mitigate the impact of one of the largest national tax increases in Canadian history,” he said.

For the rest of this article, click here: http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/john-ivison-trudeau-outsmarts-opponents-on-carbon-pricing