Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was forced to reflect on his carbon pricing scheme during a press conference on Friday following a shift in position from the New Democratic Party. NDP environment critic Laurel Collins proclaimed that the tax is not the “be-all, end-all,” during an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss carbon pricing with Canadian premiers.
While Trudeau acknowledged that carbon pricing was growing unpopular, he said that the “handful of conservative politicians and premiers” making the most noise would not dissuade his stance on this policy.
Trudeau responds to the NDP’s lack of support for the carbon tax. The PM says now is a time “to do more to fight climate change, not less.”
Trudeau adds he “feels for” Jagmeet Singh but doesn’t “entirely understand” the lack of support for the tax.https://t.co/dh39RL8IFZ pic.twitter.com/k5ChrImcrK
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) April 12, 2024
“I feel for the NDP and Jagmeet [Singh]. This is a hard moment. There are political headwinds. There’s a lot of political pressure. I’m certainly feeling it — everyone should be feeling it — by folks out there who are worried about affordability, who are worried about climate change,” Trudeau said.
The NDP have changed their tune on the tax, with MPs backing a non-binding Conservative motion in the House on Wednesday afternoon. The motion demands that Trudeau take time to sit with provincial premiers within five weeks, which seemed to confuse him.
“I don’t entirely understand the position of the NDP and pulling back from affordability measures and from the fight against climate change,” Trudeau said.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault admitted that Canadian households pay more carbon tax than they get in rebates after years of his government claiming otherwise.
MORE: https://t.co/oku7HXFTnu pic.twitter.com/szv92oAs9F
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) April 8, 2023
The Conservatives have since called out the NDP and Singh, accusing them of misleading Canadians on their record of supporting the policy. Out of more than 20 motions by the Poilievre Conservatives to axe the carbon tax, the NDP voted against all but two.
“But now, as Jagmeet Singh’s popularity nosedives and six NDP members of Parliament announced that they are abandoning Singh’s sinking ship, Singh has decided that the carbon tax is hurting Canadians after all,” the Conservative party said in a statement Friday to Yahoo News. “It’s clear that Jagmeet Singh is a weak leader who is desperate to run from his own record.”
Last month, Trudeau told reporters that the tax sends a “clear signal” for investment in Canada without impacting “vulnerable, middle-class families.”
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Yet a higher number of taxpayers believe the carbon tax is a bad policy (44%) than good (36%), an Abacus poll revealed.
