The Trudeau Carbon Tax – imposed on a number of provinces including Saskatchewan – is unconstitutional.
In a four to one decision, the Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled that the imposition represents a wholesale takeover of a collection of clear provincial jurisdictions and rights, calling it a “constitutional trojan horse” that ultimately could allow the federal government to exert authority over other areas of provincial jurisdiction.
The court ruled that the federal government cannot simply take over matters that otherwise fall within provincial authority. This supports the minority opinion that was expressed in our own Saskatchewan Court of Appeal and confirms what we have been arguing all along; that the Trudeau government does not have the authority to impose their carbon tax against the will of provincial governments, as they have done.
The ruling confirms that the federal government has no right to impose a carbon tax on some provinces but not others based on how some provinces have chosen to exercise its own legislative jurisdiction, as written under the constitution. This means that Saskatchewan has the full authority to implement our Prairie Resilience Plan to fight climate change, to reduce emissions and to do so without a federal carbon tax.
The Alberta Court of Appeal decision strengthens our resolve as we prepare to move Saskatchewan’s case to the Supreme Court of Canada. And until the Supreme Court rules, we are calling on the federal government to cancel their costly and unconstitutional carbon tax on hard-working Saskatchewan people.
Meanwhile, Ryan Meili and the NDP are not on our side. While advocating for a carbon tax, they have wrongly dismissed our legal case, calling it “a pointless crusade.”
The Saskatchewan legislature resumes sitting in March at which time our government will deliver a budget that builds on the goals outlined in the new Growth Plan.
Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan for the Next Decade is a roadmap for a growing province of 1.4 million people and a strong economy with 100,000 more jobs.
Business and investment growth over the next decade will create stronger communities. Adding value to the products we export around the world will support the growth of new industries and new investment in our province.
Technology and innovation will be a catalyst for growth in our core economic centres and the growing diversification of our economy.
Growth will create new jobs and more opportunities for young people to realize their future in our province, while attracting skilled and entrepreneurial newcomers from around the world.
These are just some of the benefits of a growing province over the next decade.
Most importantly, growth affords the ability to invest in a better quality of life for Saskatchewan families and communities – that is the purpose of growth.
A growing population and a strong Saskatchewan economy provided the means to build 46 new schools and add of 1300 teachers to our education system, equal to one new teacher for every eighteen new students enrolled.
Recently, the Government of Saskatchewan announced $6 million in new funding to support growing student enrollment with the purchase of 15 new relocatable classrooms for schools across the province.
An additional $5 million was announced to support the province’s Preventative Maintenance and Renewal program with funds helping school divisions address infrastructure needs in their schools.
Our government is committed to meet the needs in our classrooms, and ensure every student receives the education they deserve. While there is more to do, we know the way to address class size is to keep building classrooms and put teachers in them.
You can learn more about our plan for a strong economy, strong communities and strong families at saskgrowthplan.ca.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
