Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to face resistance from the Conservative opposition and some provincial leaders as time ticks down to the federal budget on April 16.
In a letter to the prime minister released on Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre again articulated his critique of the government’s handling of a range of issues — from housing, to the carbon tax, to the economy more generally.
He said the federal government would need to meet three demands to gain Conservative support: abolishing the carbon tax; adopting a Conservative proposal on housing; and ending government spending that is not accompanied by equivalent cuts.
“Common Sense Conservatives will only agree to support the budget if these three conditions are met,” Poilievre said in the letter. “It’s time for you to turn the hurt your government has caused into the hope Canadians desperately need.”
Trudeau has staunchly defended the carbon tax in recent weeks and is unlikely to accede to Poilievre’s other proposals.
The NDP-Liberal supply-and-confidence agreement means that the governing Liberals will likely have enough support to pass budget legislation without support from other opposition parties.
WATCH | Poilievre addresses carbon tax increase:
‘There will be a carbon tax election,’ Poilievre tells supporters in B.C.
6 days ago
Duration 1:47
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says, despite claims to the contrary from the Liberal government, most average Canadian families are paying more in carbon tax than what they receive in rebates.
Trudeau and federal ministers have been on a countrywide tour in recent weeks to make a series of pre-budget announcements. Many of those announcements have focused on housing, but Trudeau has also signalled the government’s intent to launch a national school food program and invest in the artificial intelligence sector.
The announcements have often taken a campaign tone, with Trudeau frequently taking the opportunity to launch attacks on Poilievre.
“Pierre Poilievre has continued to promote austerity and cuts as the path forward for Canada and for Canadians. He is wrong,” Trudeau said Sunday in Montreal following his announcement on AI spending.
He also defended his handling of the economy and deficit, which Poilievre has attacked.
“The job of an opposition leader is to criticize the government, we get that. But it’s not to fearmonger,” Trudeau said.
Some of the forthcoming budget measures have also run up against provincial opposition, which could pose a challenge.
The national school food program and various housing announcements would require provincial buy-in to be effective.
WATCH | New Brunswick premier discusses carbon tax, housing:
N.B. premier pitches natural gas exports as alternative to carbon tax
2 hours ago
Duration 8:55
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is asking for an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss carbon tax alternatives such as converting coal plants to natural gas.
Carbon tax continues to animate premiers
In an interview that aired Sunday on Rosemary Barton Live, New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs said he would consider co-operating on the government’s new housing infrastructure fund, but only if they could have an open discussion about it.
“I want to work with the federal government; I don’t like the concept of bypassing the provincial government in order to make things happen in a way that [Trudeau] feels most productive,” he told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
In a separate interview, Alberta cabinet minister Jason Nixon, whose portfolio includes housing, said the federal government was not investing equally across provinces, nor was it devoting sufficient resources to Indigenous communities. And he took exception to the government’s approach to cross-jurisdictional issues.
“They’ve continued to come into our province, bypass the provincial government, try to work with municipalities or other providers directly. This is not appropriate,” he said.
“This province will not be bribed by federal money to let the federal government continue to come into our province and enter our jurisdiction.”
Premiers also continue to push the federal government on the carbon tax, which has for months been a point of contention between the Liberals and several provincial leaders.
WATCH | Justin Trudeau defends carbon tax:
Trudeau responds to criticism carbon tax rollout was a ‘dumpster fire’
3 days ago
Duration 5:00
In an interview with CBC’s Matt Galloway, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the rollout of the recent carbon tax hike, which one critic described as a ‘dumpster fire.’
Andrew Furey, the Liberal premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, sent a letter to Trudeau last week asking for an emergency federal-provincial meeting on the issue.
Higgs told Barton that premiers had not received a response on that request. He argued that the federal government should allow provinces flexibility in their approach to reducing emissions and take a global view — allowing exports like national gas to help reduce emissions in other countries.
Trudeau has challenged premiers calling for an end to the carbon tax to instead come up with their own domestic plans to reduce emissions.
“If the premiers want to propose — individually or collectively — another way of fighting climate change and supporting affordability for Canadians, I’m all ears,” Trudeau said Sunday.
WATCH | Alberta minister on pre-budget announcements:
Alberta won’t be ‘bribed by federal money’ on housing policy, minister says
1 hour ago
Duration 9:51
The federal government has made several announcements related to the 2024 budget ahead of its unveiling on April 16. In response, Alberta’s government accused Ottawa of playing politics and overreaching in their housing plan. Jason Nixon, Alberta’s minister of seniors, community and social services, expressed his concerns to CBC’s Rosemary Barton.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
