Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is poised to move a motion of non-confidence in the prime minister with the aim of prompting a “carbon tax election,” after Justin Trudeau affirmed he doesn’t intend to back off the April 1 price hike.
Amid climate action groups imploring the Conservatives to stop scapegoating the carbon price to score political points, the prime minister embraced Poilievre’s challenge during question period on Wednesday.
“An election on the price on pollution? We had three Mr. Speaker, and we won them all,” Trudeau said.
“Then he shouldn’t be afraid to have one more,” Poilievre shot back.
Rallying his caucus on Parliament Hill on Wednesday morning, Poilievre spoke about his party’s ongoing efforts to pressure the federal minority Liberals over their stance on pollution pricing.
“Today, I’m announcing that I’m giving Trudeau one last chance to spike his hike. One last chance and only one more day,” Poilievre said. “If Trudeau does not declare today an end to his forthcoming tax increases on food, gas and heat, that we will introduce a motion of non-confidence in the prime minister.”
After question period, there was a vote on Tuesday’s opposition day motion that called on “the NDP-Liberal coalition to immediately cancel this hike,” citing the “70 per cent of provinces and 70 per cent of Canadians” opposed to the 23 per cent increase to $80 from $65 per tonne of carbon emissions.
It failed to pass — with team Trudeau, as well as the Bloc, NDP and Green parties, rejecting the proposal — setting in motion what’s expected to be a contentious debate on Thursday.
All week, emboldened by the growing cross-Canada resistance to the April 1 hike from premiers both Conservative and Liberal, Poilievre’s party has been pressing Trudeau on the carbon price, including through a failed attempt to spark an emergency debate on the issue.
Now, with Trudeau rebuffing this request, and another opposition day and vote scheduled for Thursday, it appears the Conservatives are ready to up the ante, even if the move is unlikely to succeed.
Poilievre has given notice of intent to present a motion that reads in-part: “That the House declare non-confidence in the prime minister and his costly government … and call for the House to be dissolved so Canadians can vote in a carbon tax election.”
The parliamentary “confidence convention,” as it is known, outlines an expectation that if a government is defeated on a question of confidence, it is expected to resign or seek the dissolution of Parliament in order for a general election to be held.
Though, since March 2021, the Liberals and New Democrats have been operating under a supply-and-confidence agreement designed to keep Trudeau’s government in power until June 2025, in exchange for progress on NDP priorities.
The two-party deal requires the NDP to vote with the Liberals, essentially propping up their minority standing, on confidence motions such as motions of supply or money votes; motions declared by the government to be questions of confidence; and “explicitly worded motions which state that the House has, or has not, confidence in the government.”
CPC ‘looking for clips’: Nanos
This is not the first time the federal Conservatives have threatened an attempt to bring down the Trudeau government.
It is also not the first time the party has called for a “carbon tax election.”
In November, amid a week of heavy political scrutiny over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon-price carve-out for home heating oil, Poilievre called on Trudeau to pause the carbon tax on all home heating until Canadians go to the polls.
At the time, the Liberals welcomed the idea of fighting the next election on the marquee pollution-pricing program, with Trudeau stating Canadians are “deeply concerned about the need to continue to fight climate change.”
In the months since, the government has focused its communications around the reimbursement component of the carbon tax system, rebranding the climate incentive as the Canada Carbon Rebate.
Meanwhile, as Poilievre maintains what pollster Nik Nanos calls a “massive advantage” over the Liberals in the polls, the Official Opposition leader has been touring the country holding “spike the hike” and “axe the tax” political rallies.
“For the Conservatives, to have an election now would probably be very good news, and they’re trying to put pressure and up the ante on the carbon tax, which is a key dividing line between the two parties,” Nanos told CTV News on Wednesday.
Asked why he thinks the Conservatives are going this far, polling numbers in mind, Nanos suggested that Poilievre’s camp is “looking for clips for their attack ads in the next federal election.”
“What they do is draw out the prime minister and the Liberals to defend the tax, to show that they’re not going to change anything. You can bet your bottom dollar they will be front and centre come the next election.”
Climate groups decry politicking
The carbon tax and corresponding rebate system has been in effect since 2019. It applies a levy on greenhouse gas emissions, making it more expensive to burn fossil fuels, in an effort to encourage Canadians to change their habits.
The rebates are given to Canadians through direct deposit or cheque every three months, in provinces where the federal backstop system applies.
Amid the recent calls for him to climb down from the latest increase amid persisting cost-of-living concerns, Trudeau has taken the stance that the rebate returns more money to most Canadians than they pay in the carbon tax, while declaring his job is “not to be popular,” but to do “the right things for Canadians a generation from now.”
As Liberal MPs say they remain confident in the government’s approach, noting they ran and were elected on a pledge to lower emissions and tackle climate change, they also point out that in provinces where the federal backstop is in place, it is typically because the provincial plan didn’t meet the national standard.
Echoing this, in a joint statement issued Wednesday reacting to Poilievre’s carbon tax gambit, a series of high-profile climate groups, including Climate Action Network Canada and Greenpeace Canada, panned the attacks on the carbon price as undermining “Canada’s climate plan as a whole, forcing everyday Canadians to shoulder the burden of both the affordability and climate crises.”
Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot has announced he will be out for the rest of the CFL season.
The Delta, B.C., native posted the news on his Instagram page Thursday.
“To Be Continued. Shoutout my team, the fans of the CFL and the whole city of Montreal! I can’t wait to be back healthy and write this next chapter in 2025,” the statement read.
Philpot, 24, injured his foot in a 33-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 10 and was placed on the six-game injured list the next week.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound receiver had 58 receptions, 779 yards and five touchdowns in nine games for the league-leading Alouettes in his third season.
Philpot scored the game-winning touchdown in Montreal’s Grey Cup win last season to punctuate a six-reception, 63-yard performance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic is moving on to the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open.
The Mississauga, Ont., native defeated the tournament top seed, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Stakusic faced a 0-4 deficit in the third and final set before marching back into the match.
The 19-year-old won five of the next six games to even it up before exchanging games to force a tiebreaker, where Stakusic took complete control to win the match.
Stakusic had five aces with 17 double faults in the three-hour, four-minute match.
However, she converted eight of her 18 break-point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.
“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”
Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.
“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.
When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.
McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”
