Does Poilievre have a plan for climate change?
Tory leader has offered few specific details
OTTAWA • Nuclear technology, carbon capture and mining critical minerals are all components of Pierre Poilievre's approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change, but it remains unclear when he will unveil a more fulsome climate plan of his own.
Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan said it was “laughable” to suggest that the Conservative party has a plan to “fight the climate crisis” whereas NDP MP Matthew Green said Canadians “deserve to know” what the Conservatives have in mind.
Poilievre used his first opposition day as Conservative leader on Tuesday to speak out against the federal carbon tax in the House of Commons, but was instead confronted by the Liberals, the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Greens on his climate change plan.
Poilievre did not present a climate plan during the leadership race and has not signalled his intention of doing so in the near future now that he is leader, but has repeatedly been saying that technology, not taxes, is the way to reduce emissions.
“Well let's start with supplying zero emission nuclear technology that can supply electricity to Canadians from coast to coast,” said Poilievre in answering Green's comment.
“Secondly, we can expand carbon capture and storage and (...) third, we should be mining lithium, cobalt, nickel and other minerals necessary for electrification — but do it right here in Canada, of course.”
When asked how Poilievre would reduce emissions without a carbon tax, his office redirected the National Post to prepared remarks he delivered in the House of Commons that essentially criticize the Liberals' approach to climate change.
Poilievre's office provided no clarification on the possibility of a more detailed climate plan that would outline how his party would attain zero emission goals, but it is clear that it would not include a carbon tax.
Conservatives have repeatedly been referring to a report prepared by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) last spring that projects a “net loss” in 2030 for most households resulting from federal carbon pricing when it will have reached $170 a tonne.
PBO officer Yves Giroux told the National Post at the time that “it's clear” that decarbonizing the economy in a matter of a few years is going to come at a cost but added that “there's also a cost of doing nothing” on climate change.
Clean Prosperity, a non-profit that works toward market-based solutions to the climate crisis, said at the time that the PBO report was presenting a “misleading” picture of carbon pricing.
“The PBO'S analysis of carbon pricing is like assessing a company's performance by only looking at its expenses, while ignoring its revenues,” said executive director Michael Bernstein.
Green party MP Mike Morrice said that gas went up 2.2 cents per litre because of the carbon tax in the past year while oil and gas companies' profits went up by 18 cents per litre. “Why is the leader of the opposition and his party not similarly outraged by this?” he asked.
Poilievre shot back by accusing Morrice of wanting only foreign oil companies to make profits.
“We believe in turning dollars for dictators into paycheques for our people by bringing back production here to Canada and then having the highest possible environmental standards so that the production in this country is green and clean for real,” said the Tory leader.
Bloc Québécois House leader Alain Therrien later criticized the official opposition for indulging in populism. “It's almost as if they wanted (People's Party leader) Maxime Bernier back in the fold,” he said.
Bernstein told the National Post on Tuesday that the task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Canada “is a massive undertaking” and that Poilievre's support for small modular nuclear reactors and carbon capturing are “important parts of the puzzle.”
“However, there are a lot of other parts of the puzzle too, and I hope Mr. Poilievre presents a fuller plan for climate in the near future. Conservative voters themselves have said they want the party to do more on climate.”