Ontario, New Brunswick Strike Carbon Tax Deals With Ottawa Ahead of Supreme Court Challenge

Ontario, New Brunswick Strike Carbon Tax Deals With Ottawa Ahead of Supreme Court Challenge
Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson in Ottawa on Nov. 20, 2019. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
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The federal government has reluctantly agreed to allow both Ontario and New Brunswick to use their own carbon pricing systems for big industrial emitters, rather than adopting the federal program.

The decisions come on the eve of a Supreme Court of Canada hearing that will decide if Ottawa has the jurisdiction to set a national standard for carbon pricing and impose federal programs on any provinces that don’t comply.