Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre's pledges to axe carbon pricing come at a time of wildfires and other disasters and Poilievre would rather"watch the country burn" than continue the fight against climate change.
His remarks come after Poilievre called for a"vacation" from carbon pricing from the upcoming Victoria Day long weekend to Labour Day. "Eight out of 10 families in regions where the federal carbon backstop applies do better with the cheques that come in through the Canada carbon rebate four times a year than it costs them extra on a tank of gas, or to heat their homes," he says.
Poilievre has said that in government he aims to"axe the tax" and greenlight large resource projects to bring production home to what is"the most environmentally responsible country on Earth."Poilievre was also asked Thursday about the use of the expression"climate criminal" to describe people who work in extractive industries or drive large trucks.