Premier Blaine Higgs is promising to meet a federal deadline Friday for a new carbon pricing plan.
The province must tell the federal government by the end of the day how it plans to extend its carbon tax to comply with stricter national standards that will come into effect in 2023.
On Thursday, the four Atlantic premiers wrote to federal Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault asking for an extension of the deadline.
But Higgs told reporters New Brunswick’s proposal is ready.
“We will submit and meet the deadline if the minister doesn’t extend it,” he said.
“If we don’t get that extension and further discussion, we will be submitting as a province because we’re able to do that. And we’re ready. But I do think we need to pull back and have a sober second thought.”
Late Thursday, Guilbeault said he would not extend the deadline.
“Atlantic provinces, like all other provinces and territories, have had a year to prepare their submissions,” he said in a statement.
“The deadlines were clearly and repeatedly communicated and are based on the legal requirements to update the national pollution pricing system at regular, predictable intervals.”
Guilbeault said, however, he was prepared to work with the four Atlantic provinces over the next two weeks to come up with “practical programming solutions” to issues the premiers have raised over home heating costs.
Atlantic premiers united
In the letter Thursday letter, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston wrote on behalf of his three Atlantic counterparts that higher energy prices due to carbon taxes “will amplify the inflationary pressures currently being felt in Atlantic Canada.”
Houston asked for a “short-term extension” of the deadline so that the four provinces can talk to Ottawa about “mitigating” the impacts of carbon pricing.
The letter did not acknowledge that the national climate plan gives provincial governments the latitude to rebate all the carbon tax revenue they collect directly to consumers, if they choose to do so.
Premier Blaine Higgs said New Brunswick has a plan to show the federal government but is still pushing for an extension. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press)
Guilbeault pointed that out in his statement.
“Provinces have every opportunity to design systems that support families