Bonnie Crombie rules out Ontario carbon tax if elected premier

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie says she will not institute a provincial carbon tax if her party is elected in 2026.

Crombie has been peppered with questions about her party’s stance on the carbon tax since being elected in December, with Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford labelling her as “queen of the carbon tax.”

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Until now, Crombie has sidestepped answering questions about the policy. Instead, she told reporters the Ford government was using the carbon tax as a distraction tactic and that the party was going to “do their homework” before picking a side.

On Monday, the leader made it clear that any climate action plan the provincial Liberals put forward will not include a carbon tax.

“We will ensure major polluters pay, but we will not have an Ontario carbon tax on consumers,” Crombie said in a statement.

“Instead, I want robust action on building up public transit systems; investing in electric vehicle infrastructure; reforming land-use planning to build livable, walkable communities; protecting our water, sensitive land, and nature; decarbonizing our energy grid; supporting our farmers; and, most importantly, finding ways to help families save money by helping households become more energy efficient.”

Our Climate Action Panel, led by @MaryMargaretBEY, will develop the most innovative, aggressive environmental plan this province has ever seen.

We also have a clear direction on what that plan should and should not do: we will ensure major polluters pay, but our plan will also… pic.twitter.com/HH7ON80BhS

— Bonnie Crombie 🇨🇦 (@BonnieCrombie) March 18, 2024

In response, the Ford government said Crombie’s rejection of a tax on consumers isn’t enough.

“"What she didn't do, Mr. Speaker, is say that she's opposed to the federal carbon tax, Mr. Speaker, the one that's actually going to rise in two weeks from today. Mr. Speaker, by a whopping 23 per cent,” Minister of Energy Todd Smith said in the legislature late Monday Morning.

The Progressive Conservatives, along with six other provincial leaders, have urged the federal government to pause the increase.

The announcement came as the party announced a climate action panel of six individuals who will head consultations on the Liberal environment policy.

The individuals on the panel include MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon, former Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs Carol Mitchell, Executive Director of City Building Research and Innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University Cherise Burda, former Ontario Minister of the Environment Chris Ballard, and Managing Director of Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaption Kathryn Bakos.