QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Carbon Tax
September 24, 2024
Senator Gold, we all have a role to play in mitigating our contribution to climate change. That’s not up for debate, no matter how you try to spin it otherwise. Where we differ is how we mitigate it, and it is clear that your NDP-Liberal government’s plan of making life more expensive for everyday Canadians while letting the world’s largest polluter off the hook is not working. You acknowledged it yourself when you carved out heat pumps from the carbon tax for a select group of Canadians in Nova Scotia as you tried to shore up electoral support.
Now we have premiers lining up to say that they will get rid of the carbon tax once your government is gone. Why won’t your government just save everyone the trouble and commit to axing the tax now and giving Canadians a much-needed break? For that matter, why doesn’t your government call an election and allow the Canadian public to speak, to axe this Trudeau government and allow Pierre Poilievre and common-sense Conservatives to axe the tax?
This government is focused on intelligent, evidence-based, well-established approaches to fighting climate change. It has a plan, the price of pollution being one of them. That your political considerations, and perhaps those of other provinces, obscure the solid policy rationale for prices on pollution and the other measures would be bad enough for the sake of our planet. What is even worse is the lack of and indifference to any serious measures to address what is an existential crisis for this planet.
The world is moving in the same direction — towards putting prices on pollution and recognizing that this is what mainstream economists recognize is the best tool. It is regrettable that the Conservative Party of Canada seems to be heading backwards and in the wrong direction.
Senator Gold, the only thing that’s regrettable is that there is nothing intelligent, nothing rational coming out of this Trudeau government over the last nine years except that tax is up, cost is up, crime is up and time is up for this government. Your NDP-Liberal government has doubled the debt, doubled housing costs, caused the worst inflation in 40 years, sent 2 million people to food banks and unleashed crimes and chaos in our communities, yet you are lecturing us. How much longer do Canadians have to suffer? You called an election three times — early elections while in government for your benefit. When will you call an election for the benefit of Canadians?
Congratulations, Senator Housakos. You are building up quite a record of repeating talking points from the other place. The fact remains this government is focused on — as long as the House of Commons has confidence in this government, it will continue to do what it was elected to do, which is to govern and put forward policy options and implement those for the benefit of Canadians.
