Trudeau challenges premiers opposed to carbon tax hike to suggest alternatives to federal levy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on premiers opposed to increasing the carbon tax to propose credible alternatives to the federal measure.

On Tuesday, Trudeau wrote to seven premiers who have been calling on Ottawa to pause an imminent hike to the federal levy or scrap the program altogether.

In his letter, the prime minister suggested that the governments of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador haven't put forward suitable replacements to the federal backstop.

«When we last engaged with provinces and territories on this in 2022, all of your governments either did not propose alternative systems or … proposed systems that did not meet the minimum standard for emissions reductions,» the letter reads.

The federal policy — which includes both a tax on fossil fuels and rebates paid directly to households — was introduced by the Liberal government in 2019. It's designed as a financial incentive to encourage people and businesses to cut their consumption of fossil fuels and transition to greener forms of energy.

Canadians living in the eight provinces where the federal carbon tax applies receive quarterly rebate payments which vary depending on the province and the size of household.

In his letter, Trudeau pointed out that Quebec, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories all have their own systems and are not subject to the federal tax.

«We continue to remain open to proposals for credible systems that price pollution that reflect the unique realities of your regions and meet the national benchmark,» he wrote.

The carbon price is scheduled to increase from $65 to $80 per tonne on Monday.

Four premiers — including Danielle Smith of Alberta,