Carbon pricing: NDP and Bloc Québécois back the Tory movement

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OTTAWA — The federal New Democrats backed Conservative calls Wednesday for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to attend a televised “emergency meeting” with Canadian premiers on carbon pricing.

A federal carbon price is not the “be-all, end-all” of climate policy, and New Democrats are open to alternative plans presented by premiers, NDP environment critic Laurel Collins said Wednesday.

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Collins accused the Liberal government of using climate as a political wedge issue and said the meeting would help unite Canadians and spark new ideas.

“We need to bring Canadians together to fight the climate emergency, to fight the livelihood crisis, and we need a government that supports them,” Collins said.

The New Democrats backed a Conservative motion demanding Trudeau sit down with provincial and territorial leaders within five weeks.

The proposal was passed in the House of Commons on Wednesday with the support of the New Democrats and the Bloc Québécois. This was opposed by liberal MPs.

“Trudeau owes Canada's prime ministers to listen to the suffering his carbon tax is causing Canadians,” the Conservative Party said in a statement after Wednesday's vote.

“At this meeting, he should allow the provinces to opt out of the federal carbon tax and implement other responsible ideas for tax-free emissions reductions.”

The Conservatives argue that carbon prices make life unaffordable for Canadians, while the Liberals argue that carbon price rebates mean most Canadians end up with more money at the end of the day.

Trudeau has so far turned down requests for face-to-face meetings from six premiers, including those from Ontario, Western Canada and the Atlantic provinces.

Trudeau believes prime ministers would rather complain about his federal carbon pricing program and “make political hay” than offer alternatives to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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