Poilievre pans Trudeau's carbon pricing pivot, Liberals pitch pause as 'great news'
CTV
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre came out swinging Friday, panning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for what he characterized as a panicked 'flip-flop' on his carbon pricing policies, as Liberal MPs pitch the pivot as 'great news' for their constituents. 'Justin Trudeau is in total panic mode,' Poilievre said, speaking to reporters in St. John's, Nfld.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre came out swinging Friday, panning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for what he characterized as a panicked "flip-flop" on his carbon pricing policies, as Liberal MPs pitch the pivot as "great news" for their constituents.
"Justin Trudeau is in total panic mode," Poilievre said, speaking to reporters in St. John's, Nfld.
Late Thursday afternoon, Trudeau announced the Canadian government is doubling the pollution price rebate rural top-up rate, implementing a three-year pause to the federal carbon price on heating oil, and rolling out new incentives to make it more affordable to transition to electric heat pumps.
"What caused Justin Trudeau to freak out yesterday and hold a sudden press conference to announce that he was going to pause the carbon tax on home heating oil? The answer is that he was plummeting in the polls, and Pierre Poilievre was holding massive rallies in Liberal-held ridings to axe the tax," Poilievre said, referencing his weekend plans in the region.
The Official Opposition leader then drilled down into a new line of criticism that's likely to be restated repeatedly in the months ahead.
"Justin Trudeau announced yesterday that if you re-elect him, he will put the tax back on your home heating oil," Poilievre said, referencing the fact that the temporary pause is only slated to be in effect until 2027. He was also critical that the freeze won't apply to natural gas.
"Justin Trudeau is not worried about cost of living, he's worried about the cost of votes," he said, calling the plan "a scam."
