TORONTO - Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie says if she is premier after the 2026 election, she will not introduce a provincial carbon tax.
Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives have been spending a lot of time and money to tie her to the federal carbon price, which they view as an unpopular policy.
They have been running ads dubbing her the “queen of the carbon tax,” suggesting she championed the policy when she was a federal Liberal MP, and have even introduced legislation to require a future Ontario government to hold a referendum before implementing a new provincial carbon pricing system.
Crombie says in a statement today that she has put together an expert policy panel to lead consultations on the Liberals' climate platform for the 2026 election, and that the set of promises will not include a provincial carbon tax.
She says she will ensure major polluters pay, but rather than a tax on consumers she wants to see actions such as building walkable communities, decarbonizing the energy grid and helping households become more energy efficient.
Crombie's climate panel includes caucus member Mary-Margaret McMahon, former Liberal environment and agriculture ministers, and the managing director of finance and resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaption.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2024.