As Quebec becomes the last province in Canada that hasn’t abandoned carbon pricing, the provincial government could start feeling pressure to align itself with the rest of the country.
There has long been a broad consensus in Quebec on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the province’s cap-and-trade system, launched in 2013, has never been especially controversial.
But some say Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to scrap the federal consumer carbon price could change that — especially once Quebecers notice the difference at the pump.
As of Tuesday, the federal carbon price, which applied in most provinces and territories, has officially been scrapped. British Columbia, which was the first province to impose its own carbon price in 2008, has also repealed its tax.
Asked Monday about whether he should act in kind, Premier François Legault said he would wait to see the outcome of the April 28 federal election. …