Guilbeault says he won’t back off carbon tax, oil and gas cap despite Trump’s tariffs
The Federal Environment Minister said Wednesday that the carbon tax creates jobs and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions
OTTAWA — Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Wednesday that the looming threat of a 25-per-cent tariff on all Canadian exports to the United States won’t dissuade him from pursuing an ambitious climate action plan, anchored by the federal carbon tax.
“Of course, we’re going to continue with the carbon tax because it creates jobs,” Guilbeault told a House of Commons committee studying Canada’s emissions policies. “It helps us to promote investment and reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions.”
Guilbeault also defended his ministry’s controversial draft regulations for a cap on oil and gas emissions, unveiled earlier this month.
“Measures like the proposed pollution cap are crucial in addressing emissions from Canada’s highest polluting sectors,” Guilbeault said in a short opening statement.
The cap has been widely panned by energy industry groups, with one recent study finding it would reduce oil production by 626,000 barrels per day by 2030. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said on Tuesday that she’ll use the province’s sovereignty act to shield its oil and gas facilities from the cap.
Guilbeault’s comments come two days after president-elect Donald Trump’s bombshell announcement that he’ll slap a 25-per-cent-tariff on both Canada and Mexico as a first order of business when he takes office in January.
