B次元官网网址

Skip to content

NDP support for consumer carbon price hasnB次元官网网址檛 wavered: Victoria MP Collins

Feds should strengthen price that biggest polluters face, NDPB次元官网网址檚 environmnent critic says
web1_240422-vne-collins-on-consumer-carbon-ta-_1
Victoria MP Laurel Collins says her party still supports the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 consumer carbon pricing scheme. Pictured is NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh visiting Victoria alongside Collins in the summer of 2021. (Black Press Media file photo)

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 governmentB次元官网网址檚 consumer carbon pricing scheme is not the B次元官网网址渂e-all, end-allB次元官网网址 of climate action this month. Her comments preceded NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh saying the partyB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淲e have not changed our position on the consumer carbon price,B次元官网网址 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.

B次元官网网址淚 want the conversation to be more focused on the industrial carbon price, on how we make the biggest polluters pay what they owe.B次元官网网址

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 CanadaB次元官网网址檚 emissions cuts, while the consumer fuel charge could account for between 8 and 14 per cent.

B次元官网网址淭his analysis clearly demonstrates that climate policy is delivering results B次元官网网址 with industrial carbon pricing leading the pack,B次元官网网址 the instituteB次元官网网址檚 president Rick Smith said.

Collins, the NDPB次元官网网址檚 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 countryB次元官网网址檚 largest source of emission and represented the second largest chunk of potential GHG reductions in the Climate InstituteB次元官网网址檚 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 NDPB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淭he Liberals caved yet again to the lobbyists in the oil and gas sector and didnB次元官网网址檛 implement a key policy that couldB次元官网网址檝e generated revenue to invest in climate solutions and couldB次元官网网址檝e made some of the biggest polluters pay their fair share,B次元官网网址 Collins said.

A spokesperson said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has on several occasions refuted the rumour of lobbyist influence.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 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,B次元官网网址 Freeland responded to the NDP claim in the House of Commons on budget day. B次元官网网址淚t was with that in mind that we were very thoughtful about the revenue raising methods that we chose.B次元官网网址

Both the Liberals and the Conservative Party have used the consumer carbon price as a political wedge, Collins said, adding the countryB次元官网网址檚 climate conversation shouldnB次元官网网址檛 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 partyB次元官网网址檚 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.

PoilievreB次元官网网址檚 office didnB次元官网网址檛 response to a request for comment on those claims, though he has said heB次元官网网址檇 address emissions with technology.

B次元官网网址淔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,B次元官网网址 Collins said.

READ:





(or

B次元官网网址

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }