B.C. Premier David Eby says that British Columbia will eliminate the carbon tax entirely. 

He made the announcement Friday (March 14) in Surrey at Simon Fraser University, where he and B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey participated in a town hall.

Eby had previously said that B.C. would eliminate the consumer portion of the carbon tax if Ottawa were to drop the federal requirement, something that happened Friday. 

Eby's announcement comes just hours after federal Liberal Leader Mark Carney became Canada's new Prime Minister.

"We expect to hear from the federal government today, tomorrow, next week, soon, that they are going to get rid of the federal requirement that we have a carbon tax," Eby said. "I want you to know the work is underway...as soon as the federal government announces it, we will introduce and pass that law in British Columbia to get rid of the carbon tax entirely." 

Government's budget tabled earlier this month forecasts that the carbon tax would contribute about $3 billion to the provincial budget with some of the money going back to British Columbians in form of credit, with some of the money funding various CleanBC projects. 

Government's budget tabled earlier this month forecasts that the carbon tax will contribute about $3 billion to the provincial budget.

He did not give any details when the tax would be eliminated. 

Eby also announced that British Columbians won't pay an increase in the carbon tax scheduled for April 1. The carbon tax is scheduled to increase to $95 per tonne from $80 per tonne. 

"Right now, we are working on the law," he said. 

He added that B.C. would continue to make big polluters pay. "(It's) not because we want to tax these industries," he said. "It's because we want them to adopt the technologies to reduce the carbon pollution that's changing our atmosphere, that's causing forest fires and we have had good success." 

More to come.