Rodney MacDonald concedes federal Tories haven't costed out their cap and trade policy

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HALIFAX - Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald took another shot at the federal Liberal carbon tax yesterday, claiming it would cost the province upwards of $600 million annually.

MacDonald, who has panned the scheme before, said the estimate was based on provincial emission levels from 2005 that were input into the Liberal Green Shift formula.

But the Tory premier also conceded that the federal Conservatives haven't costed out their cap-and-trade policy and he doesn't know how much it would cost his coal-reliant province.

"I know what's not best for Nova Scotia and what's not best is a carbon tax," MacDonald said when asked repeatedly how he could favour the Tory plan without a price tag.

"Simply throwing a carbon tax on the average person without the concern of what it's going to cost them to heat their home ... is not acceptable."

He also didn't acknowledge that the province would recover about $470 million annually from the Liberals through promised tax credits and other payments.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said he would not introduce a plan he thought would hurt taxpayers and insisted it would only bring minimal costs to the average person.

"In fact, the direct cost for a family will be about one dollar a day the fourth year of the plan," he said at a business luncheon in Halifax as he campaigned for Tuesday's federal election.

"I would not recommend this plan for Canadians in this election if I thought it would be not good for any province."