One-in-five Canadians (19%) say their province should let the federal plan take effect in their jurisdiction. Manitoba’s Brian Pallister has supported this, and signaled that his province will come up with its own plan to suit its needs while combating emissions. Given three options, the largest number, fully four-in-ten (43%) say that their provincial government should fight the implementation of the federal carbon pricing plan.Īlmost as many (38%) say they would like to see their own province do what works locally, and run its own carbon pricing program. This resistance resonates among a plurality of Canadians. Facing a $1.3 billion budget deficit, tax increases and spending cuts, the premier has suggested this is not the right time for a carbon levy, and that he’s willing to fight its implementation in the courts. One of the most vocal opponents of the federal carbon tax plan has been Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall. Nationwide, one-in-three Canadians (33%) are strongly opposed: In New Brunswick, where NB Power released a report predicting rapid price increases due to federal plan, strong opposition stands at 48 per cent. While residents will be buoyed by the pipeline approval, 50 per cent still say they strongly oppose a carbon tax, second only to Saskatchewan in this level of opposition.

In Alberta, Premier Rachel Notley committed to the federal plan after securing the Liberal government’s approval for the Kinder Morgan TransMountain pipeline twinning project. Slight majority support from prairie provinces in early 2015 has turned to wholesale opposition, and even in BC, where a carbon tax has been in place since 2008, support has eroded, replaced by a 50/50 split: Support has dropped to 44 per cent nationwide: Canadians, in turn, are singing a different tune. At the $50 per tonne target the federal government has set for 2022, gasoline would cost roughly 11 cents more per litre. Now that the federal government has formalized arrangements to impose a carbon tax in provinces that haven’t already put a price on carbon emissions, beginning in 2018, the impending reality of the program is beginning to kick in. This was the case again in November that same year, shortly after Canadians elected the Trudeau Liberals, who had campaigned on a promise to pursue such a plan.

Indeed, more than half of Canadians said the federal government wasn’t paying enough attention to climate change, and most said they’d be supportive if it implemented a carbon tax. When the Angus Reid Institute explored this issue in the spring of 2015, the conversation around carbon pricing was hypothetical, and support for emission reduction policies appeared high. Support for carbon pricing drops as plans become reality

This, after President Trump announced his country would be leaving the Paris Agreement to limit emissions More than half of all Canadians (55%) say that this country should not proceed with its carbon pricing plan if it creates a competitive disadvantage with American businesses.

One major concern for more than half of the population is cross-border industry competitiveness.

Four-in-ten Canadians (38%) say they would prefer if their province undertook its own carbon pricing plan, while one-in-five (19%) say their province should do nothing and allow the federal government to manage carbon pricing in their region.

Seven-in-ten residents in each province oppose the Trudeau government’s plan

Opposition to carbon pricing is strongest in Alberta (68%) and Saskatchewan (71%).

This study also finds a substantial number of Canadians would like to see their own provincial leaders push back against the federal carbon pricing minimums.įour-in-ten Canadians – including slim majorities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick – say their provinces should resist federal standards, which call for a minimum tax of $10 per tonne in 2018, rising to $50 per tonne by 2022 – an addition of approximately 11 cents on a litre of gas at the 2022 rate. Several provinces have already implemented their own emissions reduction plans – either through a carbon tax or cap and trade – in order to reduce emissions in order to meet targets set by the ratification of the Paris accord.īut at least half of the population in every region outside of Quebec tells the Institute it is opposed to Ottawa’s program of setting a mandatory nationwide carbon price for provinces who fail to create their own acceptable plan.

July 5, 2017– A new study from the Angus Reid Institute indicates Canadian support for federal carbon pricing has cooled as the issue morphs from plan to reality.

Canadians concerned their industries may face disadvantage as Trump pulls out of Paris Agreement

Carbon tax trump