Poilievre to force confidence vote over looming carbon tax increase
It is unlikely to pass, given that Liberals and New Democrats have a supply-and-confidence agreement which aims to keep Trudeau’s government in power until June 2025.
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wants to bring down the government this week if it refuses to cancel the $15 per tonne planned carbon tax increase set to happen on April 1.
“Today, I’m announcing that I’m giving Trudeau one last chance to spike his hike. One last chance, and only one more day,” Poilievre said in a speech to his caucus on Wednesday.
“I’m announcing that if Trudeau does not declare today an end to his forthcoming tax increases on food, gas and heat, that we will introduce a motion of non-confidence in the prime minister,” he said.
That motion is meant to ask MPS to vote on whether they have confidence in the current government. If it loses the vote, the government is expected to resign or seek the dissolution of Parliament which would force a general election to be held.
Poilievre has already said that he expects the next election to focus on the carbon tax.
“In that carbon tax election, there will be a very simple choice,” he said on Wednesday.
“On the one hand, you will have the carbon tax coalition of the NDP and Justin Trudeau who take your money, punish your work, tax your food, double your housing costs and unleash crime and chaos in your community,” he said.
“Or common-sense Conservatives who will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already stated that he has no plans to back down from his carbon tax increase, which is set to raise gas prices by 3 cents a litre.
The confidence motion is set to be debated during the Conservatives’ second opposition day of the week on Thursday with a vote planned later that day.
It is unlikely to pass, given that Liberals and New Democrats have a supplyand-confidence agreement which aims to keep Trudeau’s government in power until June 2025.
But Conservatives are hoping that some Liberal MPS, especially those in Atlantic provinces, will join their call to “spike the hike.”
They were also expecting to force a vote on the carbon tax on Wednesday afternoon to echo the concerns of seven out of 10 provincial premiers and call on the federal government to cancel the increase in the carbon tax on April 1.