News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – Premier Blaine Higgs issued the following statement in response to today's decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal regarding the federal carbon tax:

We are disappointed with the decision of the Court of Appeal for Ontario regarding the federally imposed carbon tax.

Our government has been consistent in its position that the federal carbon tax is unfair and will only add unnecessary costs that hurt the economy and negatively affect New Brunswick families.

We anticipate this case will be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada, and we are committed to seeing this matter through to its conclusion.

It is important to note that our legal efforts to stop this unfair tax do not mean New Brunswick will stop its efforts on important climate change initiatives. New Brunswick is committed to doing its part to reduce carbon emissions, and we are making progress.

Our plan has shown real and measurable results. We are a leader in emissions reductions and have reduced carbon emissions by 28 per cent since 2005. We fully expect to be able to contribute our fair share towards meeting the national target of 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Regarding our next legal steps, we will be consulting with the attorney general to determine the most effective means to continue our opposition. We will take the necessary time to review the court’s findings and evaluate the options available to us to ensure New Brunswick’s interests are put first.

The full framework and the provincial government’s climate change action plan are available online.

Also available online are details of how the federal carbon tax will affect you and your family.