Ontario Liberals rule out carbon tax if they form government in 2026

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is ruling out a carbon tax if her party forms government after the 2026 election, pouring cold water on a major point of criticism from Premier Doug Ford.

Just months into the job, Crombie has faced a wave of attack ads from the Ontario Progressive Conservatives looking to frame her politics before she can define herself before voters.

Ford, who often rails against the Federal Liberal government over the regulatory price on carbon, has questioned Crombie’s position on carbon pricing, going so far as to call her the “queen of the carbon tax.”

While Crombie was initially hesitant to clearly state her position on carbon pricing, her party issued a statement on Monday ruling out fees that would impact consumers directly.

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

Crombie also announced a new climate action panel, chaired by MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon, that will help inform the Ontario Liberal Party’s election platform.

“Climate change is an existential threat to our province’s economic prosperity and to the health and safety of future generations,” Crombie said in a statement. “This Conservative government has taken us backwards — they have no plan to fight climate change.”

Among the panellists: former minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs Carol Mitchell, former environment minister Chris Ballard and Vince Gasparro, former principal secretary to former Toronto mayor John Tory and currently a board member with the World Wildlife Fund.

The Liberals say the panel will explore policies to fight climate change with pricing for polluters and by “helping households become more energy efficient.”

&© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.