Poilievre motion fails on carbon price increase; confidence threat remains

Story by David Baxter

 • GLOBAL NEWS

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses his caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

 on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.© Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press

Global News  ‘Carbon tax election’: Poilievre gives Trudeau ultimatum 

to stop price on pollution hike   Duration 0:50  View on Watch

A Conservative motion to “spike the hike” and stop the April 1 carbon price increase was defeated in House of Commons on Wednesday as the environment minister says, "We can't put climate change on pause."

Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre introduced a motion earlier this week to stop the annual carbon price increase, which is set to rise to $80 per tonne on April 1 from the current $65 per tonne.

Increases are scheduled to take place annually until 2030 when the pollution levy is set to reach $170 per tonne.

The motion was ultimately defeated, with the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois voting against.

Now, it appears Poilievre will introduce a non-confidence motion in the government over the increase.

"Today I'm announcing that if [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau does not declare today an end to his forthcoming tax increases on food, gas and heat that we will introduce a motion of non-confidence in the prime minister," Poilievre said at an address to his caucus Wednesday morning.

Video: Poilievre calls Trudeau ‘a fake and a phony’ as Conservatives threaten ‘carbon tax election’

"And call for the House to be dissolved so that Canadians can vote in a carbon tax election."

Even if the motion is introduced, it likely will not be successful, due to the NDP having an agreement with the Liberals to support them on confidence matters in exchange for pushing legislative priorities like pharmacare.

When asked about the carbon price hike previously, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he wants to see the GST removed from home heating as he says it is an essential service.

This is the final sitting week for MPs before April 1, and the Conservatives signalled plans to use a variety of legislative tools to stop the increase.

Video: Question period sees heated debate on carbon pricing increase

On Tuesday, Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said that the government will not pause the increase, despite receiving a request from the Liberal premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and growing concerns from Ontario Liberals about the policy, saying climate change isn't stopping.

“The cost of climate change are also going up. And we can't put climate change on pause. We can't put climate impacts on pause,” Guilbeault said.

“And if Canada doesn't do its fair share when it comes to fighting climate change, how can I go and talk to China or India or other countries in the world and say, ‘Hey, let's work together on finding a solution to climate change’? Because there's only one way that we solve this and it's together.”

On Monday, Poilievre pushed for an emergency debate in the House of Commons.

Ultimately, Speaker Greg Fergus denied the request, saying the request did not meet the requirements under the standing orders of the House.

Video: Poilievre’s ‘axe the tax’ strategy faces skepticism

Poilievre has put a second motion on notice, asking the House to express confidence in Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux’s report that “confirms the carbon tax costs Canadians more than they get back in rebates.”

The March 30, 2023, PBO report is often pointed to by the Liberals in saying that eight out of 10 Canadian households get more back in rebates than they pay in the federal fuel charge.

However, the PBO says that most Canadians beyond the lowest 20 per cent of incomes see a greater net cost in the carbon price due to broader economic factors like lost investment and employment income.

Guilbeault criticizes premiers pushing to end carbon pricing in Canada: ‘not the solution’View on WatchDuration 3:03

Yves Giroux, the PBO, previously said he’s “troubled” by the “selective use of facts” in this analysis, adding there will be costs, no matter what action the government takes to address climate change.

— with files from The Canadian Press.