Hidden industrial carbon tax remains despite Carney halting consumer portion
One of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first official acts in his new role was signing an order-in-council to eliminate the consumer carbon tax. However, opponents are warning that the move is ...
One of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first official acts in his new role was signing an order-in-council to eliminate the consumer carbon tax. However, opponents are warning that the move is a temporary election ploy, warning that the tax could return if the Liberals win another term.
“Carbon Tax Carney is pausing the carbon tax until after the election when he no longer needs your vote but still needs your money,” said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in a post to X. “He’s flip-flopping on his beliefs to trick Canadians into a fourth Liberal government.”
Nevertheless, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation wasted no time in congratulating Canadians who have opposed the carbon tax.
“Ordinary Canadians who never stopped fighting the carbon tax deserve all the credit for this victory,” said the Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano. “The Liberal government didn’t end this carbon tax because it wanted to; it did it because Canadians forced them to.”
While Terrazzano congratulated Canadians for finally eliminating the consumer portion of the carbon tax, he warned that the industrial carbon tax remained. He said that consumers will still pay a higher price for goods and have fewer jobs available due to the existing carbon tax but that the cost will be hidden.
Poilievre was equipped with a copy of the Liberal carbon tax law at one of his press conferences, which he confirmed cannot be eliminated without a vote in Parliament.
“This law cannot be eliminated unless Parliament resumes to vote it down. Mr. Carney could have asked Trudeau to do that months ago. Mr. Carney could have reconvened Parliament today to vote this law down, but he won't,” said Poilievre. “He will keep the carbon tax law in place, even while he temporarily hides the carbon tax from the gas pump for 60 days leading up to the election. And after that election, if, God forbid, he were re-elected, there would be a bigger carbon tax than ever before because Carney would no longer need your vote, but he'd still need your money.”
Poilievre called Carney’s sudden flip-flop “the carbon tax con job.”
Conservative MP Michael Barrett also said the carbon tax was merely being paused.
“He could have told Trudeau to axe it. He didn’t. He could have recalled Parliament to kill it. He didn’t. Don’t fall for it. Carbon Tax Carney is just like Justin,” said Barrett.
While the consumer carbon tax has been removed, the industrial carbon tax remains.
Poilievre said that Carney would bring in a shadow carbon tax to target Canadian industries. The Conservative leader said that Carney has specifically singled out the steel industry, which Poilievre said will result in tens of thousands of jobs lost.
“The combination of Trump tariffs and Carney's carbon tax will destroy our industrial sector and make us hopelessly dependent on the Americans, all while profiting Mark Carney's personal investments in other countries,” said Poilievre.
Carney previously backtracked on an earlier statement, eventually admitting that the cost of the industrial carbon tax is passed onto consumers.
True North previously published an investigative series highlighting that Carney said politicians who abandon the carbon tax should be held accountable.
Conservative MP Andrew Scheer posted a video to X highlighting many of Carney’s past statements that now contradict his current position.
Despite removing the consumer portion of the carbon tax today, Carney said that Canadians will still be delivered rebate cheques in April, possibly during the middle of an election campaign.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer previously revealed that Canadians were paying more in carbon tax than they received in rebates.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation called on the federal government to repeal the carbon tax law to scrap the hidden carbon tax placed on industry, which cannot be done until parliament is resumed.