Ford uses announcement of carbon tax referendum bill to take digs at Bonnie Crombie

The Ford government is promising a new law requiring future governments to hold a referendum if they wish to introduce a provincial carbon tax.

It was a campaign-style announcement from Premier Doug Ford, who quickly pivoted to attacking Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie.

In a promise to make life more affordable, Ford said his government will move to prevent any provincial carbon tax in Ontario.

“Our governments will always look for ways to put money back into your pockets,” he said at a press conference Tuesday. “To protect people in Ontario from the high cost of any future carbon tax.”

Ford says that when the next sitting at Queen’s Park begins next week, his government will introduce legislation that would require a referendum if a future Ontario government tried to implement a carbon tax.

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Ford claims it would ensure Ontarians have the final say on the issue, but experts disagree.

“Any future government if it wanted to bring in a carbon tax would just have to repeal this law, and bring in a carbon tax.” explained McMaster University Professor Peter Graefe.

Ontarians already pay a federal carbon tax, which was imposed after the Ford government ended the provincial cap and trade system implemented by the previous Liberal government.

“So exactly what the referendum would do? It just seemed like a political stunt and he followed it up with an even bigger political stunt by attacking Bonnie Crombie who had nothing to do with today’s announcement.” says political analyst Keith Leslie.

It was a quick pivot from Premier Ford, who attacked former Mississauga mayor and recently-elected Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie from a gas station in the city she used to govern.

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“She’s the queen of carbon tax, even worse, she raised property taxes every year she was mayor.” he declared.

The announcement was followed by a flurry of posts on social media from Conservative MPP’s with a nearly identical message that attacked Crombie and urged to protect Ontarians from a carbon tax that doesn’t exist.

“I think the conservatives aren’t too scared that Marit Stiles is suddenly going to light a fire in the suburbs of Toronto which you need to form a government in this province, but that Bonnie Crombie might.” says Graefe.

“Just seems to be that they’re running scared of Bonnie Crombie, who really hasn’t done a heck of a lot yet.” added Leslie.

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A statement from Crombie reacting to the attacks from Ford reads in part, “Desperate Doug is yet again trying to distract Ontario citizens from his failures, flip flops and scandals.”

Ford additionally announced that drivers in Ontario will soon be able to skip annual license plate registration as his government works to make the process automated amid reports of a surge of expired plates in the province.

The move builds on his government’s previous decision to eliminate renewal fees and license plate stickers.

The next provincial election is expected to take place in June 2026.