Originally Published in the Toronto Sun
PM says he met premiers eight years ago, but none of the premiers in the job now were elected then.
Six premiers have now written Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for a meeting to discuss the carbon tax. Trudeau’s response has been to say there’s no need for a meeting, since he already had one with premiers – in 2016.
Strange thing, though, not only was that meeting eight years ago, none of the people who are now serving as premier were in office at the time.
Brad Wall, who was premier of Saskatchewan in 2016, said in a social media post that he remembers that meeting in March 2016 very well. He said that Trudeau and the premiers agreed not to impose a consumer carbon tax until provinces were consulted.
Later that year, at a meeting of provincial, territorial and federal environment ministers, Wall’s environment minister and premier, Scott Moe, walked out of the meeting in October 2016. So, too, did the Liberal environment ministers of both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Trudeau’s unilateral decision to bring in the carbon tax while allegedly engaged in consultation with the provinces was also criticized by Alberta’s then-NDP premier Rachel Notley.
Now we have six premiers who have written to Trudeau asking for a meeting, including Andrew Furey the Liberal premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Trudeau falls back on a meeting eight years ago where he acted in bad faith. Trudeau is trying to claim that it’s only conservative premiers and conservative politicians who are pushing back against the carbon tax.
That claim discounts the letter from Furey and a request from a seventh premier, Manitoba’s Wab Kinew, a New Democrat, who has asked that the carbon tax be removed in his province.
The Sun’s political columnist Brian Lilley says Trudeau needs to realize he is in charge and can stop the exploding immigration numbers coming into Canada.
“Canadians expect us to work together, and it’s time for you to come to the table,” Moe said in his letter to Trudeau.
That was a sentiment echoed by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a man who has worked well and closely with Trudeau over the past several years.
“It’s time we came together as leaders to address the very real affordability concerns being expressed by Canadians and do everything we can to help them keep costs down,” Ford wrote.
Trudeau is having none of it, though; he is trying hard to defend his carbon tax against premiers across the country and of all political stripes. He is pushing back at the 69% of Canadians who, according to a Leger poll, opposed Trudeau’s decision to increase the carbon tax on April 1.
Trudeau continues to claim that eight out of 10 families get more money due to the carbon tax.
“If you have a giant mansion and an indoor swimming pool and three big personal cars, it might not cover all of that, but for regular families that are hardworking, it puts more money in their pockets,” Trudeau said.
That statement ignores the report and the recent comments from the non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Officer, who has stated multiple times that when all factors are considered on the carbon tax, most families are worse off.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford implored Prime Minister Justin Trudeau not to institute the April 1 carbon tax increase on Canadians.
“When both fiscal and economic impacts of the federal fuel charge are considered, we estimate that most households will see a net loss,” Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux said in a report released last March.
“Based on our analysis, most households will pay more in fuel charges and GST — as well as receiving slightly lower incomes — than they will receive in Climate Action Incentive payments.”
You will pay more, you will earn less, and Trudeau says that will make you better off.
In his 2016 meeting with the premiers, Trudeau made a promise he did not keep, saying he wouldn’t impose a solution. He also told the country before the 2019 election that his government had no intention of raising the tax beyond $50 a tonne, it’s now $80 and climbing.
Now to put off having another meeting with a new batch of premiers, he’s telling the fib that we are better off. The only way we will be better off is when he leaves office.
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