British Columbia Premier David Eby said Thursday he would end carbon pricing on consumers and shift the burden to “big polluters” if the federal government removes the legal requirement to keep it in place.
Mr. Eby says a re-elected NDP government would force “big polluters” to pay for their emissions in order to take action on climate change.
He argues that the federal government’s approach to carbon pricing has “seriously damaged” what was a political consensus on the issue in the province.
Mr. Eby says carbon pricing has been “politicized” and his government will abandon it if the feds remove a “legal backstop” requiring the province to keep it.
In 2008, British Columbia became the first Canadian jurisdiction to introduce carbon pricing under the province’s previous Liberal government.
Eby says the “context and challenges” facing British Columbians have changed due to high interest rates, inflation and affordability issues. He says a new approach would ensure “big polluters pay their fair share.”
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad called Eby’s “about-face” a “desperate attempt to save his sinking political ship.”
The province will hold elections on October 19.