As the Canadian scheme has become ‘political football’ in the price of carbon News about politics

Montreal, Canada – For years, Pierre Poilievre hit home a simple slogan: “Tax ax.”

The leader of the Canadian opposition conservative party – which is widely expected this year to become a prime minister – vowed to abolish the carbon price scheme brought by going to the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Liberal government.

Policy has added additional cost to fossil products such as gasoline, as part of the Earth encouragement to reduce emissions and resolve the climate crisis.

By publishing this “carbon tax”, Poilievre blamed the environmental protection program for the crisis of accessibility in Canada – despite a study showing that carbon prices have been negligible influenced by inflation. He also has pledged that “axes of tax for all forever.”

“We need a carbon tax election to let them go and bring them home to a conservative government,” ” he said Recent video Posted on social media, referring to liberals.

Conservatives hope that their carbon tax strategy will repay the upcoming federal voice, as Canadians are still struggling with high costs of foods and apartments.

Experts say the Teries campaign has made carbon prices with hard sale, even leaders in the race replace Trudeau as the head of the ruling liberal party that moved away from politics.

“Conservatives have made a lot of political hay in particular from the fight against carbon prices. ‘Ax The Tax’ is now the central pillar of the federal strategy of the conservative campaign, “said Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, a senior researcher from the Canadian Alternative Policy Center.

“Some political opportunism is certainly happening here. Conservatives see it as a winning issue, so they doubled and tripled and turned into a controversial position.”

However, Mertins-Kirkwood said that the political rhetoric around carbon prices “dramatically overwhelmed” this question, both in terms of its effects on accessibility and importance in the overall climate struggle.

“The question is that he became this political football, this symbol of power on the one hand, and then a model of climate policy on the other. And I just think it’s none of these things.”

What is the price of carbon?

In 2018, Canada adopted the Law on Green Protection Prices, establishing minimal national standards for the cost of carbon in the provinces and territories across the country.

IN federal government Put two systems: one for large industrial pollutants and one for Canadian consumers.

Consumer carbon price – which is what attracted the most prized and political IRA – put a levy on daily buying products made of fossil fuels, such as diesel, gasoline and natural gas.

These foods increased over time. The last trip in April meant that politics now costs $ 0.12 ($ 0.176 Canada) more per liter of gasoline, according to the Canadian Federation of Taxpayers (Pdf).

Reflections It is that by increasing the cost of fossil fuels, Canadian consumers will be forced to change their behavior and deviate from products that increase the greenhouse gas emissions.

The scheme is just one part of the entire Liberal Government Strategy to combat climate change.

“You make everyone pay a little constantly, so it’s a very visible policy,” Mertins-Kirkwood said. He noted that the Canadians feel the effects of carbon prices every time they fill their gas containers, they pay an account for natural gas or go to the store.

“It’s just a recipe for unpopularity, even if it’s not a big price, and even if – as the case is the basis of the whole country – you get a discount,” he explained.

“Psychologically, it’s just not a winning equation. I think it’s an inherent problem with carbon prices, no matter how politically treated. This is not a political winning policy.”

Bad communication

Indeed, the Federal Government has set a system of rebate in an effort to help Canadian households make up for the price of carbon.

IN December reportUniversity of Calgary’s professors Trevor Tomba and Jennifer Winter have found that Canadian households have received quarterly payments through the Rabat Government system “, which often exceed the additional costs caused by carbon price.

“This means that many families, especially those with lower incomes, are protected from the negative financial impact of the prices of emissions, and some can end with a net financial profit,” the professors explained.

They also noted that emissions prices led to an increase of only 0.5 percent Total increase in consumer prices in Canada since 2019.

“Most of the price increases have encouraged global factors, such as increasing energy prices and disorders in supply chains,” they said.

Keith Stewart, a senior energy strategist from Greenpeace Canada, said that part of the carbon price problem was that the Government failed to make it clear that the system had functioned, which made it possible for the conservatives “water poisoning”.

“The answer of communication they had on everything is:” Believe us. We are smart economists. ‘It’s not well communicated, “he said.

The money that the Canadians have returned through the carbon renovation is also not clearly marked. Funds are laid on people’s accounts without being labeled as part of politics, Encouraged the confusion.

But Stewart warned that he did not “throw a baby with water for the bathroom” in a hurry to eliminate carbon prices in Canada.

The price of the price of industrial carbon price could still be strengthened, he said, even if the price of the consumer is reduced. “It will do the same job without causing the same anger.”

He also warned that a conservative campaign for “tax cut” requires the increasing effort of the party to increase to climate action and increase the production of fossil fuels.

Canada is the home of one of the world’s largest oil tray, in the western province of Albert. Mold pushed For the new infrastructure of fossil fuels, such as pipelines, and opposed the liberal proposal for pollution by the Canadian oil and gas sector.

“Currently, conservatives have suggested removing not only carbon taxes, but also a standard of clean fuel, the mandate of electric vehicles,” Stewart added. “It has a much greater impact than just the way they say,” Tax ax “.

Liberals break through with politics

Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director of the Kanada Climate Action Network, said that some Canadian politicians were “enchanted carbon prices” as part of “effort to limit all climate actions”.

Al Jazeera also said that the conservatives have not so far not outlined “any climate plan or constructive proposal.”

“The conclusion that I am at this point is that Mr. Poilievre – when he faces one of the most difficult crises that the ingredients with which he competes with – tells us only what will do less.”

Brouillette said that Canadian political parties should present what they plan to do to solve climate and economic problems on the eve of the following elections, which must occur until October 20th.

“We hope that these candidates will participate in a constructive conversation about what they provide in order to jointly deal with accessibility and climate crisis, instead of joining the race to the bottom,” she said.

In the meantime, the Liberal Party should select a new leader who will replace Trudeau in early March, and two leaders in the race have made the abolition of the carbon prices of consumers one of their early promises of the campaign.

Let’s take a new approach to the fight against climate change.https://t.co/krlqbgjigl pic.twitter.com/wfcuetlh6e

– Mark Carney (@Markjcarney) 1. February 2025

Mark CarneyFormer bank governor of Canada and the highest candidate in the race, he said last week that he would replace carbon prices with incentives to “reward people to make greener decisions.”

These elections include “buying a more effective device, driving an electric car or isolation of your home”, Carney said. “The truth is that carbon consumer tax does not work. It has become too disturbing and too much division. That’s why I’ll cancel him. “

His rival for the leadership place, Chrystia Freeland – Trudeauu’s longtime deputy ia Former Minister of Finance – She also said she was planning to cancel the carbon price for Canadians.

“Where people have a consumer cost of carbon, they say,” You know, we don’t like it, “she said in a recent interview.” So we have to listen, and at the same time we need a strong plan to fight climate change. “

‘A change in force behavior’

Ultimately, Mertins-Kirkwood said that the discussion of carbon prices was partly used to interfere with Canadian “from talking about what would actually be an effective climate policy.”

He said that a more effective measure would be to install government regulations in order to make climate action a request, not a proposal.

Mertins-Kirkwood pointed to the mandate phase of coal electricity as one such example, as well as a plan for the ban on sale of new vehicles with internal merging engines by 2035.

“These are difficult regulations. These are difficult approaches that change forcibly, unlike something like a carbon price or stimulus of an electric vehicle where you encourage and hope that people will do it,” he said.

Stewart from Greenpeace also said Canada should seek to develop a “green industrial strategy” that will create green jobs and lead to better investment.

“We need to change the channel from just:” Do you support carbon tax? “Na,” If not a carbon tax, then what? “” He said.