Dec 08, 2023
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that the Liberals will not abandon their carbon-pricing regime despite procedural protest tactics from the Conservatives that forced MPs to vote non-stop through the night and into the day Friday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his team say they are turning to procedure to challenge the Liberals on carbon pricing. They have also said they will not relent until Mr. Trudeau and the Liberals change their position.
Mr. Trudeau, who was in the House of Commons on Friday morning, said “No, we’re not axing the tax” as he left the chamber with a smile.
Earlier this week, Mr. Poilievre delivered a speech to his caucus, that was opened to media, in which he said his party would put forward thousands of amendments to force all night, round-the-clock voting until the Liberals agreed to their demand “to take the tax off farmers, First Nations and families.”
By Friday morning, the standoff meant that MPs had been voting overnight on the amendments. Voting continued Friday, even though the official parliamentary record listed the sitting as a continuation of Thursday’s sitting.
Government House Leader Karina Gould said that abundant amounts of coffee and tea had helped her side of the House.
After midnight, Mr. Poilievre returned from Montreal carrying fast food for members of his caucus, according to video posted on the leader’s social-media feed.
Mr. Poilievre posted on X about visiting a synagogue in Montreal to join the Jewish community on the first night of Hanukkah on Thursday.
The Conservative party website also indicated that the leader attended a fundraising event in the Montreal-area municipality of Pointe-Claire.
On Friday, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer said his party has “successfully killed a day of governance” and ensured that Mr. Trudeau has one less day to implement his “destructive agenda.” Mr. Trudeau could put an end to the voting should he “axe the tax,” Mr. Scheer added.
Mr. Scheer also said that when Mr. Trudeau faces enough pressure he backs down, pointing to members of the Liberal caucus who were “revolting” because of what they were hearing from voters on home heating.
The Liberals announced on Oct. 26 that the federal government would increase the rural rebate on carbon pricing and it would exempt home heating oil from the levy. At the time, Mr. Trudeau said a three-year pause on applying the carbon price to heating oil would give people additional time and money to move to electric heating pumps.
Both the Liberals and the NDP have pushed back on the Conservative approach in the Commons.
Ms. Gould told reporters that the Conservatives “can keep us here all day.”
“We will be here because we are going to stand up to them as bullies and we’re going to stand up for Canadians,” she said.
“Mr. Poilievre is just gaslighting people for clickbait,” she said.
“Honestly, Canadians deserve better than this risky and reckless ridiculous behaviour that isn’t achieving anything except, you know, costing taxpayers more money because we had to be here overnight.”
Ms. Gould was referring to the fact that staff had to work through the night at the House of Commons.
In a statement on Friday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said what Canadians see from Mr. Poilievre is “all an act.”
“He is not in it for you,” Mr. Singh said.
www.theglobeandmail.com
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that the Liberals will not abandon their carbon-pricing regime despite procedural protest tactics from the Conservatives that forced MPs to vote non-stop through the night and into the day Friday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his team say they are turning to procedure to challenge the Liberals on carbon pricing. They have also said they will not relent until Mr. Trudeau and the Liberals change their position.
Mr. Trudeau, who was in the House of Commons on Friday morning, said “No, we’re not axing the tax” as he left the chamber with a smile.
Earlier this week, Mr. Poilievre delivered a speech to his caucus, that was opened to media, in which he said his party would put forward thousands of amendments to force all night, round-the-clock voting until the Liberals agreed to their demand “to take the tax off farmers, First Nations and families.”
By Friday morning, the standoff meant that MPs had been voting overnight on the amendments. Voting continued Friday, even though the official parliamentary record listed the sitting as a continuation of Thursday’s sitting.
Government House Leader Karina Gould said that abundant amounts of coffee and tea had helped her side of the House.
After midnight, Mr. Poilievre returned from Montreal carrying fast food for members of his caucus, according to video posted on the leader’s social-media feed.
Mr. Poilievre posted on X about visiting a synagogue in Montreal to join the Jewish community on the first night of Hanukkah on Thursday.
The Conservative party website also indicated that the leader attended a fundraising event in the Montreal-area municipality of Pointe-Claire.
On Friday, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer said his party has “successfully killed a day of governance” and ensured that Mr. Trudeau has one less day to implement his “destructive agenda.” Mr. Trudeau could put an end to the voting should he “axe the tax,” Mr. Scheer added.
Mr. Scheer also said that when Mr. Trudeau faces enough pressure he backs down, pointing to members of the Liberal caucus who were “revolting” because of what they were hearing from voters on home heating.
The Liberals announced on Oct. 26 that the federal government would increase the rural rebate on carbon pricing and it would exempt home heating oil from the levy. At the time, Mr. Trudeau said a three-year pause on applying the carbon price to heating oil would give people additional time and money to move to electric heating pumps.
Both the Liberals and the NDP have pushed back on the Conservative approach in the Commons.
Ms. Gould told reporters that the Conservatives “can keep us here all day.”
“We will be here because we are going to stand up to them as bullies and we’re going to stand up for Canadians,” she said.
“Mr. Poilievre is just gaslighting people for clickbait,” she said.
“Honestly, Canadians deserve better than this risky and reckless ridiculous behaviour that isn’t achieving anything except, you know, costing taxpayers more money because we had to be here overnight.”
Ms. Gould was referring to the fact that staff had to work through the night at the House of Commons.
In a statement on Friday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said what Canadians see from Mr. Poilievre is “all an act.”
“He is not in it for you,” Mr. Singh said.
Trudeau says Liberals not ‘axing the tax’ amid round-the-clock voting spurred by Conservatives over carbon pricing
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his team say they are turning to procedure to challenge the Liberals on carbon pricing
www.theglobeandmail.com
