Poilievre rallies in northern Ont., shows interest in green energy projects instead of carbon tax

Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre walked towards his supporters gathered by the Gateway Arch in North Bay to the chanting of “Axe the tax.”

Over the course of three days, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre is visiting North Bay, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins and the Sault as part of his ‘Axe the Tax Northern Ontario Tour.’ In North Bay he described the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “high tax, high carbon hypocrite.” (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)Over the course of three days, Poilievre is visiting Thunder Bay, Timmins, North Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie as part of his ‘Axe the Tax Northern Ontario Tour.’

Poilievre is choosing to let voters know the carbon tax will “quadruple up to 61 cents a litre.”

“Seniors in North Bay will have to choose between heating and eating. After eight years of Trudeau, everything costs more,” he said.

Poilivere went on to describe the prime minister as a “high tax, high carbon hypocrite.”

“Justin Trudeau likes to call people who heat their homes polluters, meanwhile he uses a taxpayer-funded private jet to go around the world on fancy $9,000-a-day vacations gifted to him by millionaire and billionaire friends,” he said.

Canada’s heated political divide is split over carbon pricing. The Trudeau Liberals have indicated they remain committed to this marquee climate policy. While the NDP are pushing the government to remove HST from home heating.

“New Democrats voted to have fairness on home heating with the carbon tax,” said Timmins-James Bay NDP MP Charlie Angus.

“Pierre Poilievre is misrepresenting those facts.”

The Conservative leader is making the rounds in northern Ontario stopping in major cities to pound home the message that his government would eliminate the price on carbon.

Pierre Poilievre speaking ahead of his 'Axe the Carbon Tax' rally in Timmins, Ont. on Jan. 13/24. (Supplied/Conservative Party of Canada)

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“Let's green light green projects,” said Poilievre.

“Let's lower the price of alternatives and bring down emissions and costs at the same time. It's common sense."

He added that he wants to drive down the cost of energy alternatives.

This comes as people living in provinces where the federal carbon tax is applied will receive the first rebate of the year on Monday, as long as they have filed their 2022 income tax returns.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, a family of four in Ontario will receive payments of up to $244. The rebates are given out every three months.

“The way in which you’re receiving that rebate comes in, you’re not receiving that physical cheque, I think it misses a lot of people,” said University of Windsor Political Science Professor Lydia Miljan.

“But they see it every week at the price of the tank when they fill up.”

According to a recent Nanos Research poll, the carbon pricing program has received backlash from Canadians. Half of whom, do not believe the tax is effective at combatting climate change.

“Certainly if the election were to be held in the next six months, I would say it would be a major component of that,” Miljan said.

“The Conservatives are signalling they want it to be a carbon tax election.”

In addition to discussing his party's plans to 'axe' the carbon tax, Pierre Poilievre also tackled questions from reporters on the ongoing mental health and addiction crisis in northern Ontario, housing supply and demand and homelessness. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)Poilievre said he does support other green initiatives that would benefit the environment, such as:

• hydroelectric dams,
• small modular nuclear reactors,
• carbon capture and storage and
• tidal power off the coast of Atlantic Canada

“We can harness green, clean emission-free electrical power for our grid,” he said.

“We can mine the green minerals that will go into batteries and into other emissions-free technology."

Angus argues that Poilievre has had “absolutely no response” to the climate crisis.

“We had 200,000 people evacuated from their homes from wildfires last year and yet he’s going around putting up billboards,” Angus said.

The Liberals argue a carbon tax maintains an incentive to reduce emissions.

"Putting a price on pollution and returning the proceeds to eligible Canadians through rebates provides support for individuals and families while also maintaining an incentive to reduce emissions," Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault wrote in a previous statement.

Poilievre took photos with supports at Cecil's The Grande Event Centre in North Bay on Jan. 13/24. (Eric Taschner/Northern Ontario)Poilievre also tackled questions from reporters on the ongoing mental health and addiction crisis in northern Ontario, housing supply and demand and homelessness.