(Ottawa) Justin Trudeau believes that the NDP is giving in to political pressure from Pierre Poilievre on carbon pricing charged to consumers.
At a press briefing Friday in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, in the West Island of Montreal, Prime Minister Trudeau castigated the leader of the New Democrats, Jagmeet Singh, for his recent prevarications on carbon pricing, which he had supported in the Commons.
Mr. Trudeau believes Mr. Singh and the NDP genuinely care about the environment, but they no longer know how to fight climate change.
Singh said Thursday the NDP is working on its own environmental plan that would not put the burden of fighting climate change on working people. But the NDP leader did not say whether that plan would include a carbon price on consumers.
PHOTO RYAN REMIORZ, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
The vagueness comes as the NDP tries to present itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election. The Conservatives argue that the “carbon tax” has increased the cost of living for Canadians.
Prime Minister Trudeau on Friday once again cited the findings of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who concluded that eight out of 10 households in provinces affected by the federal measure ultimately received more money in rebates than they paid in carbon pricing.
Mr. Trudeau believes the New Democrats “had no idea what to do about climate change, and one of the first things they did after they left the agreement [de soutien et de confiance] “The goal of delivering progressive things to Canadians is to abandon any plan to combat climate change.”
Mr. Trudeau was referring to the NDP leader’s announcement last week that he was withdrawing from the support and confidence agreement reached with the minority Liberal government.
“And yet Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are bowing to political pressure from Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives,” Trudeau said in response to a question about Monday’s by-election in Montreal. “This is not what Montrealers expect and deserve.”
Voters will go to the polls Monday in the Montreal riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, which was represented by former Justice Minister David Lametti before he resigned. Another byelection will also be held the same day in the Manitoba riding of Elmwood-Transcona, a Winnipeg seat that was held by the NDP.
Mr. Poilievre responded to Mr. Singh’s comments on Thursday by posting a video noting that the NDP had repeatedly voted in favour of the Liberals’ carbon pricing.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune Thursday, promising that if the federal government dropped its demands on the provinces, a re-elected NDP government would scrap carbon pricing and shift the burden to “big polluters.”