Trudeau should be more like Clinton on climate change, Premier Brad Wall says

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is speaking out against carbon pricing again today this time saying he wishes Justin Trudeau was more like Hillary Clinton on climate change.

Wall told reporters Wednesday morning that Clinton's climate change platform is similar to what the province will be proposing next week.

• What a carbon price means for consumers
• 'This is a betrayal': Brad Wall slams Justin Trudeau for carbon pricing deadline

Clinton's plan includes $60 billion USD in grants supporting clean power options, efficient buildings, cleaner transportation and more energy efficient industry.

Wall pointed out that her plans didn't mention carbon pricing, and he said that's because it doesn't work.

"Carbon pricing hasn't delivered on reducing emissions, and I believe that technological investments and moving to renewables as we're trying to do in Saskatchewan, that will actually reduce emissions," he said.

Wall said imposing a carbon tax would put Canadians at a disadvantage and puts our competitiveness at risk.

"Before we rush to a final decision on what to do on taxing carbon or pricing carbon or the timeline, shouldn't we be aware at least or what the Americans are going to do?" he said.

"We need to know if anything we're going to do unilaterally in Canada will make us less or more competitive."

Carbon pricing deadline announced Oct. 3

The premier's statements come in response to a carbon pricing deadline announced Oct. 3 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

• Justin Trudeau gives provinces until 2018 to adopt carbon price plan

The federal government's direct-pricing plan means polluters will pay $10 per tonne starting in 2018, increasing to $50 per tonne by 2022.

At the time, Wall said Saskatchewan will be one of the province's hardest hit by a carbon tax because of its export resource industries.

In response, Saskatchewan's environment critic Cathy Sproule agreed the timing was off for the "heavy-handed" announcement, but also slammed Wall for not taking climate change seriously.

Wall said the government will be proposing a new plan at a Regina Chamber of Commerce meeting on Oct. 18.