Manitoba government intends to ask Ottawa to get rid of carbon tax in province

The Manitoba government has confirmed it intends to ask Ottawa to remove the carbon tax from this province.

Following a meeting Thursday between Manitoba's premier and federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, a news release put out by the Conservatives thanked Wab Kinew for calling on Ottawa to get rid of the backstop.

Kinew, however, has only previously said the province ought to be exempt from the tax on home heating and that his government planned to continue to make the case that the backstop isn't needed in Manitoba.

The premier's office told CBC News on Thursday that Kinew hasn't made a formal request to the feds to eliminate the backstop, but the Manitoba government is in fact working on a proposal and Ottawa is aware of it.

The carbon tax, also known as the price on carbon, came into effect at $20 per tonne in 2019. It's climbed in the years since and is set to rise from $65 per tonne to $80 Monday. 

The hike will add 3.3 cents to a litre of gasoline and 2.9 cents to a cubic metre of natural gas. The carbon rebates sent to households every three months are also being increased.

The increases are meant to be a financial incentive for people and businesses to change their habits to burn less fossil fuels and transition to greener forms of energy. For example, a homeowner could be compelled to change their home to save on heating, install a heat pump, or switch to an electric vehicle.

Kinew said during a press conference March 13 the province would "continue to make that strong case that the backstop doesn't need to be applied."

The premier was asked at that press conference if a formal request had been made, replying, "Who's to say we haven't?"

Kinew also said at the time any conversations his government holds with Ottawa would remain private "until we decide to make them public."

"I think we have an ongoing constructive engagement with the federal government on this," Kinew said during the press conference earlier this month. "There's been some indication that there's a willingness to revisit the backstop in Manitoba once we present that formal plan. And so we're going to keep making that case."

In the fall, Manitoba's premier also asked Ottawa to remove the carbon tax on home heating.

While Kinew has expressed some carbon tax apprehension over the last few months, his opposition hasn't been as fierce as some of his counterparts.

Seven of Canada's premiers recently wrote a letter calling for a pause to the planned April 1 increase to the carbon tax. Kinew didn't take part.