Supreme Court to start hearings on Canada’s carbon tax; will determine if constitutional

The Supreme Court of Canada begins hearings today to determine whether the federal carbon tax is constitutional.

The court will hear two days of arguments in three separate cases involving Ottawa’s policy to impose a carbon tax in provinces that don’t have an equivalent system of their own.

In 2019, appeals courts in Saskatchewan and Ontario ruled in Ottawa’s favour.

1:47 Farmers frustrated with federal decision to move forward with carbon tax increase amid pandemic

In February of this year the Alberta Court of Appeal said the tax was not constitutional and infringed on provincial powers.

The Ontario and Saskatchewan appeals were set to be heard in March but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The delay left enough time for the Alberta case to be added so all three carbon tax cases can be heard at the same time.

0:57 Alberta Court of Appeal rules federal carbon tax unconstitutional