Court Battles Reveal ‘Fundamental Incoherence’ in Trudeau’s Climate Policies, Says Campaigner
Ottawa praises BC’s green leadership, while fighting provincial legal case on Trans Mountain expansion.
The federal government’s treatment of British Columbia shows the Trudeau Liberals’ “incoherence” on climate change, says an environmental campaigner.
On one hand, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna is calling B.C. an “exemplary climate leader” on Twitter, because the provincial government supports its carbon tax.
At the same time, the Trudeau government is fighting to force the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion through B.C. over the provincial government’s objections and accusing B.C. of hurting the country’s economy.
As a result, B.C. is involved in three court cases concerning environmental issues that involve the federal government.
In two, the province is intervening in support of the federal government to argue in favour of a national carbon tax.
In the third, B.C. is asking if it has the right to control what hazardous materials come across its borders, which could give it the ability to block the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The conflicting legal cases show a basic problem with the federal government’s climate change policies, Dogwood BC campaigner Sophie Harrison told The Tyee.
“It speaks to the fundamental incoherence in the federal government’s climate change policies,” she said. “Out of one side of their mouth they are talking about leading on climate, they are talking about making polluters pay for climate damages… and out of the other side of their mouth they pay oil companies to pollute. And they do this with subsidies and tax breaks.”
The federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act comes into effect Monday.
The tax will start at $10 per tonne of carbon emissions, gradually rising to $50.
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