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Poilievre’s Push to Expand Carbon Price Pause Voted Down

The Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s motion to extend the federal carbon price pause to all forms of home heating has been defeated, as the Bloc Québécois sided with the Liberals to reject the motion.

This non-binding motion, meaning the government was not obligated to act on it, found support from the NDP but still failed to secure a majority, with 135 votes in favor and 186 votes against.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement last month about a three-year pause on the carbon price for home heating oil, primarily used in Atlantic Canada, faced criticism from premiers in other provinces, who deemed it unfair.

Poilievre’s motion called on the government to extend the pause on the federal carbon tax for all types of home heating, stating, “Given that the government has announced a ‘temporary, three-year pause’ to the federal carbon tax on home heating oil, the House call on the government to extend that pause to all forms of home heating,” Poilievre’s motion reads.

Last Tuesday, Trudeau firmly rejected the idea of more exceptions in the federal carbon price, despite the criticisms of the heating oil plan. As part of the initial announcement, made with the presence of Liberal Atlantic MPs, Trudeau also mentioned Ottawa’s plans to collaborate with provincial governments on subsidizing heat pumps for low-income residents.

The Liberals, with 158 seats, had enough votes to defeat the combined 142 seats held by the Conservatives and the NDP, who had announced their support for the motion on Thursday.

This made the Bloc Québécois, with its 32 seats, the deciding factor in the vote, as they chose to align with the Liberals.

When NDP MP Peter Julian explained his party’s support for Poilievre’s motion on Thursday, he emphasized the importance of “equity.”

“We need to be the adults in the room. Given the panicked reaction of the Liberals, seemingly tied to their polling standing in Atlantic Canada. Given the Conservatives, for once, put forward a motion that doesn’t deny climate change, we will be supporting that motion,” he said.

“The motion today is for once not a crazy climate denying motion. It just refers to the equity of ensuring that takes of all types of home heating and in all regions actually can benefit from that.”

After Monday’s vote, Conservative Whip Kerry-Lynne Findlay accused Liberal MP Ken McDonald of giving the finger to Canadians.

“We just had a very important vote to Canadians and the member from Avalon literally gave the finger to those Canadians as he stood to vote for our motion which was to give them a break and reprieve on home-heating costs,” she accused.

McDonald, in response, explained that he had merely scratched the side of his head with two fingers and said, “If they think it’s one finger, that’s up to them,” he said.

University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, speaking to Global News last week, expressed doubt that this debate would subside, as he believed that the pause was undermining the carbon price, a pivotal policy of Trudeau’s government.

“Its core strength is in providing a uniform incentive to all individuals, all businesses, regardless of where they live, what sector they’re in, what fuel they use,” Tombe said.

“So, I think this is a move that not only undermines the carbon tax itself but changes the conversation around the carbon tax in a fundamental way that will potentially lead to more exemptions. And I think potentially the carbon tax itself, at least at the retail level, being removed entirely.”

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