Victoria MP Laurel Collins says her party still supports pricing the pollution that results from consumers using fossil fuels amid uncertainty about where the federal NDP stands.
In an interview with Black Press Media, Collins said the focus should be on reducing politicization of the consumer fuel charge while taking greater action against the biggest polluters.
That position comes after she said the federal governmentsa国际传媒檚 consumer carbon pricing scheme is not the sa国际传媒渂e-all, end-allsa国际传媒� of climate action this month. Her comments preceded NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh saying the partysa国际传媒檚 longtime support for the policy remained even as he refused to clarify whether he supports the consumer levy on fuels like gasoline and natural gas.
sa国际传媒淲e have not changed our position on the consumer carbon price,sa国际传媒� Collins said in an April 18 interview, adding she wants to see policies expected to land larger greenhouse gas (GHG) cuts get even more robust.
sa国际传媒淚 want the conversation to be more focused on the industrial carbon price, on how we make the biggest polluters pay what they owe.sa国际传媒�
An independent analysis from the Canadian Climate Institute in March found industrial carbon pricing will be the biggest driver in emissions reductions between now and 2030. Those large-emitter trading systems could yield between 20 to 48 per cent of Canadasa国际传媒檚 emissions cuts, while the consumer fuel charge could account for between 8 and 14 per cent.
sa国际传媒淭his analysis clearly demonstrates that climate policy is delivering results sa国际传媒� with industrial carbon pricing leading the pack,sa国际传媒� the institutesa国际传媒檚 president Rick Smith said.
Collins, the NDPsa国际传媒檚 environment and climate change critic, said the governing Liberals have watered down greenhouse gas-slashing policies like the coming regulations for a net-zero electrical grid and an oil and gas emission cap. The latter targets the countrysa国际传媒檚 largest source of emission and represented the second largest chunk of potential GHG reductions in the Climate Institutesa国际传媒檚 analysis.
The Victoria MP said families and working people are paying the price for the climate crisis, not rich CEOs or big oil and gas corporations that are making record profits. She criticized the feds for not heeding the NDPsa国际传媒檚 call for the budget to include an excess profits tax on oil and gas companies, similar to the one applied on banks during the pandemic.
sa国际传媒淭he Liberals caved yet again to the lobbyists in the oil and gas sector and didnsa国际传媒檛 implement a key policy that couldsa国际传媒檝e generated revenue to invest in climate solutions and couldsa国际传媒檝e made some of the biggest polluters pay their fair share,sa国际传媒� Collins said.
A spokesperson said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has on several occasions refuted the rumour of lobbyist influence.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 also really important for us to ensure that Canada continues to be internationally competitive, to ensure that Canada continues to be an attractive investment destination for foreign investors and for Canadian investors,sa国际传媒� Freeland responded to the NDP claim in the House of Commons on budget day. sa国际传媒淚t was with that in mind that we were very thoughtful about the revenue raising methods that we chose.sa国际传媒�
Both the Liberals and the Conservative Party have used the consumer carbon price as a political wedge, Collins said, adding the countrysa国际传媒檚 climate conversation shouldnsa国际传媒檛 be dominated by one narrow policy piece.
As the Conservatives have been looking to make inroads in NDP ridings, including ones on the Island, Collins accused the partysa国际传媒檚 leader Pierre Poilievre of having no environmental plan and caring for oil and gas executives more than protecting communities from the impacts of climate change.
Poilievresa国际传媒檚 office didnsa国际传媒檛 response to a request for comment on those claims, though he has said hesa国际传媒檇 address emissions with technology.
sa国际传媒淔ighting the climate crisis is not optional. Children are being kept inside because the air is choked with smoke from forest fires, heat waves in British Columbia killed hundreds of people,sa国际传媒� Collins said.
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