Poilievre’s Warning: Possible Non-Confidence Motion Against Trudeau Due to Carbon Tax Increase
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to bring forth a motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and demand a “carbon tax election” if the Liberal government proceeds with its plans to raise the carbon tax.
The proposed motion will address the 23% increase in the carbon tax set for April 1 and the subsequent rise in living expenses, as stated by Mr. Poilievre in a speech to the Tory caucus on March 20.
“Today I am announcing that if Trudeau does not announce an end to his upcoming tax hikes on food, gas, and heating, we will introduce a motion of non-confidence in the prime minister,” he declared.
Mr. Poilievre outlined the additional costs that families in each province are anticipated to bear due to the carbon tax hike, asserting that Canadians would pay more than what the government rebates, citing data from the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Accusing Mr. Trudeau and his administration of not being transparent about the costs of the carbon tax, the Tory leader also criticized the media for spreading “misinformation” on the topic, alleging that “state-controlled media” is misleading people by claiming they receive more than what they pay when the opposite is true.
The Liberal government has indicated that approximately 8 out of 10 households in Canada will receive more in rebates than they pay in carbon taxes, with Mr. Trudeau highlighting the figure following a call from Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey to postpone the tax increase last week.
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Mr. Poilievre is unlikely to succeed with his proposed motion to dissolve Parliament as the Liberal government and its NDP allies have a supply-and-confidence agreement to keep the minority Liberals in power until 2025.
The deal faced uncertainty recently with doubts about whether the Liberals would fulfill their commitment to enact pharmacare legislation as part of the agreement with the NDP. The Liberals presented their pharmacare bill before the March deadline.
The collaboration between the two parties remained strong during another recent vote on the Israel-Hamas conflict, with the Liberals endorsing a non-binding motion introduced by the NDP. The Liberals modified the NDP motion, which originally called for recognizing Palestinian statehood, to focus on endorsing a two-state solution instead.
While the Tories, along with several provincial parties, oppose the carbon tax and its April 1 increase, all parties in the House of Commons except the Tories support the carbon tax.
The Tories are leading in recent polls, with most surveys indicating that the majority of Canadians are against the carbon tax hike.
A poll conducted by Leger and commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation revealed that up to 69% of Canadians oppose the tax hike, increasing to 72% when Quebec and British Columbia are excluded since their provinces do not directly apply the federal tax.
