Doug Ford's Gas Stickers Have Been Deemed Unconstitutional By The Courts

After more than a year-long legal battle, gas stations will not be required to display stickers detailing the costs of the federal carbon tax. The decision came today when Ontario Superior Court Justice Edward M. Morgan ruled Doug Ford’s gas stickers unconstitutional, saying they violated free speech provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The stickers were originally challenged by The Canadian Civil Liberties Association. 

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“A government or political party can, in the words of Ontario’s minister of energy, ‘stick it to’ another tier of government or political party as a matter of free speech in an election campaign or otherwise,” Morgan’s decision read.

“A government cannot legislate a requirement that private retailers post a sticker designed to accomplish that task. The mandatory fuel pump sticker is an unconstitutional attempt to do just that,” it continued.

Gas stations will now be able to keep the stickers on, if they wish, or take them down, CityNews reports.

Originally, gas stations were threatened with being fined between $5,000 and $10,000 a day for every day they did not display the sticker.

There has been no word from Doug Ford’s office on whether he plans to file an appeal or not. NDP Opposition Energy critic Peter Tabuns released a statement today urging Ford not to.

"The Official Opposition NDP is calling for an immediate commitment from Doug Ford that he will not waste another dollar of public money to appeal the Superior Court decision. He has already wasted enough of people’s money on his anti-carbon price stickers that don’t stick – a partisan and dishonest propaganda campaign," Tabuns wrote.

He called the Ontario Supreme Court's decision "heartening."

The legislation was originally put in place on August 19, 2019. It was part of an ongoing battle between Ford's Progressive Conservative government and Ottawa over carbon pricing.

Not all Ontarians were pleased with Ford's move. Some spotted the stickers peeling off from where they were displayed, while others took to Twitter to express their frustration.

According to the Ontario Environment and Energy website, the federal carbon tax actually makes up a very small percentage of the overall price of gas.