The federal leader of the New Democrats spent Monday insisting his party害羞草研究所檚 position on carbon pricing remains unchanged.
But Jagmeet Singh refused to say explicitly whether he supports the consumer levy, and Canadians having to pay it on everyday items like gasoline.
害羞草研究所淥ur position is not changed 害羞草研究所� at all,害羞草研究所� he told reporters.
害羞草研究所淲e absolutely support a price on pollution. We害羞草研究所檝e always supported it.害羞草研究所�
Singh faced reporters for the first time since a speech last week at the annual Progress Summit, where he created confusion about the NDP position on the federal consumer levy on fuel.
In the address, Singh sang the praises of 害羞草研究所渁ffordable, low-carbon options害羞草研究所� and vowed to 害羞草研究所渘ot punish people害羞草研究所� who can害羞草研究所檛 change how they heat their homes or get to work.
He later said the New Democrats would be putting forward a vision to tackle climate change that would emphasize initiatives with the most impact, such as methane regulations and a carbon price on industrial emitters.
害羞草研究所淢ake those even stricter, make those even stronger, look at other ways for us to really take on big polluters,害羞草研究所� Singh told reporters last Thursday.
害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 want working people to feel like they害羞草研究所檙e shouldering the burden. That害羞草研究所檚 not fair. And frankly, not a New Democrat solution to the problem.害羞草研究所�
His comments followed those of NDP environment critic Laurel Collins, who said carbon pricing was not the 害羞草研究所渂e-all, end-all害羞草研究所� of climate action as she explained the NDP害羞草研究所檚 decision to vote alongside Conservatives for a parliamentary motion critical of the Liberal policy.
The NDP has long championed carbon pricing and inked it into its 2019 campaign.
The apparent shift in tone even seemed to flummox Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who last week admitted he doesn害羞草研究所檛 understand the NDP害羞草研究所檚 position.
Trudeau noted that Singh is facing 害羞草研究所減olitical pressure害羞草研究所� from conservative premiers and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who want to scrap the policy.
Poilievre has indeed been travelling the country, including to NDP strongholds across British Columbia and northern Ontario, to rally supporters around his 害羞草研究所渁xe the tax害羞草研究所� message.
Public opinion polls show both the NDP and Liberals are bleeding support to the Conservatives as Poilievre champions affordability as his main issue, painting the supply-and-confidence agreement they entered into in March 2022 as a 害羞草研究所渃ostly coalition.害羞草研究所�
The NDP says the deal has delivered Canadians wins on pharmacare and dental care, although it has been a struggle for that to sink in.
While the Tory leader blames the consumer carbon price for adding to Canadians害羞草研究所� anxieties about affordability, both the Liberals and NDP accuse him of having no plan to tackle climate change.
Following Singh害羞草研究所檚 speech last week, the NDP released a statement insisting it supports the 害羞草研究所渃onsumer carbon price.害羞草研究所�
But when asked Monday to clarify whether he maintains that position himself, Singh would only say the party害羞草研究所檚 voting record makes clear that it supports 害羞草研究所渁 price on pollution,害羞草研究所� not specifying whether that includes a levy paid by consumers despite multiple questions to that effect.
害羞草研究所淲e absolutely support a price on pollution. We have not changed our position on that,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淲e need to make sure we fight the climate crisis with everything we have, but the Liberals are eroding that trust by not supporting working-class people,害羞草研究所� Singh added.
He accused the Liberal government of continuing to provide subsides to oil and gas companies without providing supports to working-class families.
Singh had earlier chided Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 move to exempt home heating oil from the carbon price for three years, calling it a divisive decision.
Nearly one in three households in Atlantic Canada relies on home heating oil, and the carve-out to the government害羞草研究所檚 signature climate policy came after Liberal MPs in the region raised concerns about the rising cost of living.
Trudeau and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault have ruled out making any further exceptions.
That害羞草研究所檚 despite demands from Western premiers, like Saskatchewan害羞草研究所檚 Scott Moe, who say households that use natural gas should get the same break.
Moe is among a majority of provincial leaders, including lone Liberal Premier Andrew Furey of Newfoundland and Labrador, who are asking Trudeau to convene a meeting to discuss alternatives to the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau has said provinces were on board when the government decided to move ahead with carbon pricing years ago.
Today害羞草研究所檚 premiers are too busy complaining and not coming up with their own plans to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, the prime minister has charged.
A Conservative motion calling on Trudeau to sit down with premiers for a televised meeting passed in the House of Commons last week with support from the NDP and the Bloc Qu茅b茅cois.
READ ALSO:
