Carbon price could see Liberals ‘annihilated,’ Ford says as Trudeau, Smith meet
“If they don’t start putting money back in people’s pockets instead of filling their pockets, guess what? They’re going to get annihilated, as I’ve said before, they’re done. They’re done like dinner,” Ford said at a housing announcement in Pickering, Ont. Wednesday.
This happened as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are meeting in Calgary on Wednesday as pushback grows from provincial premiers to a planned carbon price increase.
The federal backstop is set to rise from $65 a tonne to $80 a tonne on April 1. This means the fuel charge on gasoline will go from 14.3 cents per litre to 17.6 cents.
“We’ve now seen seven premiers have suggested that we need a pause on April 1, so I’m very hopeful that we can maybe come to some solution on that and address issues of affordability,” Smith said during a photo-op prior to the meeting with Trudeau Wednesday morning.
“Obviously, we will also talk about pricing pollution and making sure we’re protecting future generations and jobs. I’ll highlight that as of the beginning of April, the average family of four in Alberta will get $1,800 a year Canada Carbon Rebate. That’s money in people’s pockets even as we fight climate change,” Trudeau replied.
Smith highlighted work on the Trans Mountain Pipeline, net-zero energy and cement projects, plus Indigenous economic development opportunities as additional priorities in the meeting.
On Trudeau’s end, he said he’s looking forward to talk about childcare and dentalcare in the meeting.
Meanwhile, outside the Newfoundland legislature, Conservative Pierre Poilievre released a video saying there is a “tax revolt” and his caucus will put motions before Parliament next week to stop the carbon price increase. The Tory
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