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The non-binding motion, which the Liberals opposed, demands that Trudeau hold the meeting with the country’s premiers within five weeks
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OTTAWA — A call for the prime minister to meet with Canada’s premiers on the carbon tax got support from the House of Commons Wednesday, as the NDP joined with the Conservatives to demand the meeting.
“At this time bringing the premiers together with the federal government to have a conversation about climate policy. That is a supportable idea,” she said.
Poilievre introduced the motion days after the Liberal premier of Newfoundland, Anthony Furey, wrote an open letter to Trudeau calling for the emergency meeting. Several other premiers, including leaders in New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, have now echoed that call.
In his letter released on April 1, Furey said his government supports the goal of reducing carbon emissions, but people in his province can’t avoid them and have no choice but to drive vast distances across the island.
“There is no rail system or subway system. Infrastructure to support electric vehicles is improving but remains inadequate through our sparsely populated land mass,” he said.
Furey said he supports the idea of pushing consumers toward low-carbon alternatives but in his province those alternatives don’t exist.
“We need a constructive approach to decarbonize our environment without placing the burden on individual families who simply do not have viable alternative options.”
The current carbon-tax regime requires provinces to either create their own system to reduce carbon emissions that meets the same reductions targets as the federal government or have the federal program imposed upon them.
Trudeau told a CBC interviewer last week that he had met with the premiers over the carbon tax in 2016.
In question period on Monday, Poilievre called on Trudeau to take the opportunity and agree to the meeting.
“Everybody understands the tax is driving people to the food bank. That’s why six premiers including the Liberal premier of Newfoundland and Labrador have asked for a meeting. Will he agree to a televised carbon tax conference?”
Trudeau defended his policy and accused the Conservatives of standing in the way of legislation that would double the current rebate for rural residents, something the Liberals introduced last fall.
“What would be also helpful is if we were able to deliver the doubling of the rural top up … but the Conservative party is blocking the legislation to double the rural top.”
Collins said both the Liberals and the Conservatives have used the carbon tax debate as a political wedge, without getting results. She said if premiers don’t have an alternative that should be made clear.
“They do not have a plan to fight the climate crisis and that’s something that Canadians should be aware of,” she said. “Canadians want to see their politicians trying to work out their differences, and there are differences between the provinces and the federal government.”
National Post
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