As a growing number of premiers urge the federal government to scrap an upcoming increase to the federal carbon tax, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed back on what he called “short-term thinker” politicians and defended his government’s deeply divisive policy.
“My job is not to be popular, although it helps,” Trudeau said with a smile during a news conference in Calgary Wednesday.
“My job is to do the right things for Canada now, and do the right things for Canadians a generation from now.”
His visit to Alberta to meet with Premier Danielle Smith, one of the most aggressive opponents of the federal carbon pricing program, comes as most premiers have called on the government to either scrap the program or pause the increase scheduled for April 1 until inflation mellows.
He’s also facing attacks from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who said he’ll force multiple votes in Parliament next week to stop what he’s calling “Trudeau’s April Fools’ tax hike.”
“Trudeau is facing a provincial revolt,” he said in a statement Wednesday. “But Trudeau isn’t listening.”
Trudeau showed no signs of bowing to pressure from the premiers or Poilievre.
“That’s an easy thing for short-term thinker politicians to say, ‘Oh, we’ll get rid of the price.’ They don’t talk about the fact that they’re also going to get rid of that cheque, the Canada carbon rebate, that puts more money in the pockets of the vast majority of Canadians,” he said.
Trudeau defends carbon tax as premiers call for halt to increase
Speaking in Calgary, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “short-term thinker politicians” are the ones rallying against the Liberal government’s price on pollution.
At the beginning of next month, the carbon price is scheduled to increase from $65 to $80 per tonne.
The federal policy — which includes both a tax on fossil fuels and rebates paid directly to households — was introduced by the Liberal government in 2019 and is designed as a financial incentive to encourage people and businesses to cut their consumption of fossil fuels and transition to greener forms of energy.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre Conservative has railed against the carbon levy (Christinne Muschi/Canadian Press)
Canadians living in the eight provinces with the federal carbon tax receive quarterly rebate payments which vary depending on the province and the size of household.
“Those are cheques that the conservative governments and Conservative Party want to take away from people,” said Trudeau.
“It’s a way of both fighting climate change, of pushing for innovation and better technologies, and putting more money in the pockets of Canadians right across the country.”
N.L. premier writes to Trudeau
On Tuesday, Liberal Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey shared an open letter to the prime minister saying that while his government is “deeply invested in environmental sustainability,” the scheduled increase will add to residents’ financial burdens.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also wrote to Trudeau urging him “cancel the carbon tax before any more financial damage is done.”
British Columbia, Quebec and the Northwest Territories follow their own carbon-pricing mechanisms that meet federal standards and are exempt from the federal program.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Calgary on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Todd Korol/The Canadian Press)
Earlier Wednesday, Smith and Trudeau shook hands for the cameras ahead of a meeting. While Smith thanked the federal government for pushing through the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, she said Alberta and Ottawa still have major disagreements.
“An area where we don’t quite see eye-to-eye [is] the carbon tax,” said Smith.
“Seven premiers have suggested that we need a pause on April 1, so I’m very hopeful that we can maybe come to some solution on that [and] address issues of affordability.”
The government has made a concession on its program already. Facing pressure from within caucus from Atlantic MPs in the fall, Trudeau announced his government will exempt home heating oil from the tax for three years.
Trudeau said the pause is meant to give rural Canadians more time to switch to alternative sources like electric heat pumps, but ruled out any other exemptions.
“There will absolutely not be any other carve-outs or suspensions of the price on pollution,” said Trudeau in October.
At Issue this week: Saskatchewan is holding back its share of the carbon tax, so how will the federal government ensure other provinces pay up? The Conservatives want more transparency surrounding the Winnipeg lab leaks that got two Chinese scientists fired. Plus, does the pharmacare legislation live up to the promises?
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his government would not submit the money it owed for the carbon price on natural gas. He has framed the measure as a protest against Ottawa’s decision to exempt heating oil from the levy but not the energy source used by most households in his province.
Failing to submit carbon tax reports or pay the amounts owed could come with consequences, including fines and jail time.
“You can opt out of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by using the notwithstanding clause but you can’t opt out of the federation. You can’t opt out of Canada,” said Trudeau.
“We are a country of laws, we are a country of rules, of responsibilities … and we expect people to obey the law.”
\
‘You can’t opt out of Canada,’ PM says to government of Saskatchewan
2 hours ago
Duration 1:03
When asked in Calgary about Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s threat to disobey the federal carbon pricing law, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said provinces can opt to use the notwithstanding clause when they wish, but they “can’t opt out of Canada.”
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.
