Premier Danielle Smith says she’s taking steps to keep Albertans warm this winter while keeping their utility bills low.

On Tuesday, the premier announced the province had sought a judicial review to be exempt from Ottawa’s federal carbon tax.

“We ask the court to declare the exemption both unconstitutional and illegal. We hope this will force Ottawa to recognize the burden the carbon tax places on Canadians and eliminate the tax altogether,” Smith said at a news conference Tuesday.

Alberta’s UCP government has been fighting the federal carbon tax since 2019, calling it “unfair” to Albertans.

“Heating is not optional in Alberta, which means we rely on natural gas, not only to keep us warm, but also to keep us safe,” Smith said.

A year ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposed a three-year pause on federal carbon pricing on fuel oil deliveries in all jurisdictions where the federal fuel charge is in effect.

Smith says this effort only benefits people living in Atlantic Canada and Quebec whose populations use fuel oil.

“The result is clearly unfair to people in Alberta and other parts of Canada who rely on natural gas and other fuels to stay warm in winter,” Smith said.

“From where we sit, this looks an awful lot like yet another attempt to divide our country, to reward one region and punish another.”

Smith says less than 1 per cent of the population of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba uses home heating oil.

The province says it has not informed the federal government of its legal action, but has been clear on its position on the carbon tax for years.

With files from CTVNews.ca

This is a developing story, more details will be available as soon as possible…