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

On Tuesday, the premier announced the province has filed for a legal challenge to be exempt from Ottawa’s federal carbon tax.

“We are asking 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 during a news conference Tuesday.

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

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

A year ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau implemented a three-year pause on the federal carbon price on fuel oil supplies in all jurisdictions where the federal fuel tax 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 use natural gas and other fuels to stay warm in the winter,” Smith said.

“From where we sit, it looks very much like an attempt to divide our country, to reward one region and punish another.”

Smith says less than one percent of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba use household oil.

The province says it did not notify the federal government of its lawsuit, but has been clear about its stance on the carbon tax for years.

With files from CTVNews.ca

This is a developing story, more information will come when available…