Achi news desk-
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says prime ministers would rather complain and “make political hay” out of his federal carbon pricing program than present an alternative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Trudeau made the comments after Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey wrote a letter urging him to convene an “urgent meeting of leaders” to discuss options.
Furey is among seven provincial leaders who wanted Trudeau to abandon a plan to increase the federal consumer carbon price by $15 a tonne, which took effect today.
Many of them have long opposed any carbon levy, but say the affordability crisis plaguing Canadians is reason enough not to increase it further.
But Trudeau says the increase will also mean bigger rebates, which families are set to receive starting April 15 to help offset the higher cost of fuel.
He says that the chief officers have failed to offer any alternatives, and that they would rather complain and “make political hay” out of the matter.
In his letter to Trudeau, shared on social media, Furey defended the steps his province has taken so far to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“The threat of climate change is dire,” he wrote. “There is a broad consensus that decarbonisation is vital; there are no serious counter-arguments remaining. The only question is the best way, at the moment, to do it.”
He says the federal government is going to have a “larger strategic investment” if it hopes to have “any meaningful impact” on Canada’s carbon output.
In the days leading up to Monday’s progress, the four Atlantic premiers as well as their counterparts in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario asked Trudeau to rethink the plan.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who testified before a parliamentary committee last week about his opposition to the increase, tweeted on Monday that the only way to stop future increases is a change in government.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is leading the Liberals in public opinion polls, has challenged Trudeau to make the next federal vote a “carbon tax election.” The next federal election must be held on or before October 20, 2025.
Poilievre has also spent the past month holding “tax axis” rallies across the country with the same message. He was to hold a news conference Monday in Nanaimo, BC, before an evening rally.
Around midday on Monday, dozens of people gathered on Parliament Hill, some waving “tax axe” signs, while others covered Canadian flags or exploitative messages about the prime minister.
Protesters temporarily blocked the Trans-Canada Highway that connects Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Television reports showed demonstrators near Aulac, DS, carrying signs that read, “Tax axis,” and “Trudeau must go.”
One eastbound lane was open to commercial vehicles only, and one westbound lane had reopened to all traffic, but motorists traveling between the two states were advised to expect delays, New Brunswick RCMP said.
Trudeau and other supporters of carbon pricing say critics ignore the fact that Canadian families receive quarterly rebate checks, which are more generous to low-income households, to help them offset the upfront costs.
They also highlight the costs that climate change has imposed on Canadians due to disasters such as wildfires or floods.
Last week, around 200 economists and academics from universities across the country released an open letter defending carbon pricing as the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions, rather than imposing stricter regulations.
The Liberal party circulated a petition on social media Monday accusing Poilievre of wanting to cut the rebate checks, which range from $760 to nearly $1,800 a year, depending on where the recipient lives.
Trudeau has accused the conservative premier of lying about the policy’s impact on inflation and challenged his provincial critics to present alternative plans to reduce emissions.
For months, he and his ministers have been struggling to find support for the years-old policy as Canadians find themselves paying higher food and housing prices, and Poilievre has campaigned aggressively against the price. carbon.
Back in February, the federal government rebranded the payments Canadians receive as the “Canada Carbon Refund” from the “Climate Action Incentive,” in an effort to boost support for the policy.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 1, 2024.
— With files from Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax
