Conservative Party leadership candidate Jean Charest reiterated he would support a carbon tax, but said the policy would not discriminate against rural Canadians or be a wealth transfer tax. .“We can walk and chew gum at the same time. Alberta has done it. They have a price on carbon for industrial emitters, and they have a policy that makes sense,” Charest said..The CPC candidate made the comments in an exclusive interview with the Western Standard on Cory Morgan’s show, Triggered Live, March 21..When asked by Morgan where he stood on carbon taxes, Charest said he would “look at and have” a policy that has “carbon pricing” in it. Charest said the plan would need to be simple and flexible enough to avoid the 33% carbon tax increase Trudeau will implement on April 1, as it “doesn’t make sense.”.According to Charest, the transition away from fossil fuels should be done alongside oil and natural gas industries, which would be better than “just doing it while excluding the industry or excluding the provinces.”.Charest said he has “always been pro-pipeline and pro-oil and gas,” and pointed out the last pipeline built in Quebec was done under his government. Charest was the 29th premier of Quebec, from 2003 to 2012..Charest said the crisis in Ukraine, which has resulted in reduced imports of Russian oil and higher energy prices, has shown the importance of developing Canadian oil projects..“In this conflict, we could be an alternative of oil and gas for Europe, as opposed to being shut out as we are right now,” Charest said. “But to do that requires that there be a prime minister who actually stands up from time to time and says, ‘I’m in favour of pipelines,’ as opposed to not saying anything at all or not supporting the industry. That’s what has been sorely lacking in the last few years.”.Charest said under the Liberal government, Canada’s place on the international stage has been “weakened,” and the country is “not the voice we once were.” Charest said with relations with the United States weakening, Canada needs to learn to rely on itself by diversifying its trade and seeking relations with other countries..In response to a question on firearm legislation, Charest echoed his previous comments that the federal government should focus on crime in larger cities and guns being smuggled across the southern border, and not on “hunters or farmers in northern Alberta.”.In terms of revisiting firearms legislation, Charest said the government should more closely examine what it would accomplish, “and not just for the pleasure of trying to further legislate.” .When asked if he would be open to constitutional reform in Canada, Charest said the “conditions are not there,” because there needed to be “substantial” buy-in and preparation on behalf of the provinces..“But that doesn’t mean that there are not alternative things that can be done in the meantime, that would allow this federal system of ours to work more effectively,” Charest said. “I know how this federal system works, and I know how to make it work to get big things done. It would be a breath of fresh air in Ottawa.”.When asked about appointing elected senators from Alberta, Charest said the representation of the provinces in the Senate was “one of the issues that need to be addressed,” and that it was an option he would look at..“There are probably other options that would allow the provinces a say in how we nominate senators,” he said. “I’m open to those ideas, and if the province of Alberta wants to bring something forward and say ‘here’s something that we would like to do,’ I would be very open to that.”.While Charest acknowledged Canada’s equalization payment scheme is “imperfect,” he said it is written into the constitution and cannot be discarded. He said equalization payments should continue to be revised every five years, “with a view of making it fair to everyone, including Alberta.”.Matthew Horwood is an Ottawa Parliamentary reporter for the Western Standard
Conservative Party leadership candidate Jean Charest reiterated he would support a carbon tax, but said the policy would not discriminate against rural Canadians or be a wealth transfer tax. .“We can walk and chew gum at the same time. Alberta has done it. They have a price on carbon for industrial emitters, and they have a policy that makes sense,” Charest said..The CPC candidate made the comments in an exclusive interview with the Western Standard on Cory Morgan’s show, Triggered Live, March 21..When asked by Morgan where he stood on carbon taxes, Charest said he would “look at and have” a policy that has “carbon pricing” in it. Charest said the plan would need to be simple and flexible enough to avoid the 33% carbon tax increase Trudeau will implement on April 1, as it “doesn’t make sense.”.According to Charest, the transition away from fossil fuels should be done alongside oil and natural gas industries, which would be better than “just doing it while excluding the industry or excluding the provinces.”.Charest said he has “always been pro-pipeline and pro-oil and gas,” and pointed out the last pipeline built in Quebec was done under his government. Charest was the 29th premier of Quebec, from 2003 to 2012..Charest said the crisis in Ukraine, which has resulted in reduced imports of Russian oil and higher energy prices, has shown the importance of developing Canadian oil projects..“In this conflict, we could be an alternative of oil and gas for Europe, as opposed to being shut out as we are right now,” Charest said. “But to do that requires that there be a prime minister who actually stands up from time to time and says, ‘I’m in favour of pipelines,’ as opposed to not saying anything at all or not supporting the industry. That’s what has been sorely lacking in the last few years.”.Charest said under the Liberal government, Canada’s place on the international stage has been “weakened,” and the country is “not the voice we once were.” Charest said with relations with the United States weakening, Canada needs to learn to rely on itself by diversifying its trade and seeking relations with other countries..In response to a question on firearm legislation, Charest echoed his previous comments that the federal government should focus on crime in larger cities and guns being smuggled across the southern border, and not on “hunters or farmers in northern Alberta.”.In terms of revisiting firearms legislation, Charest said the government should more closely examine what it would accomplish, “and not just for the pleasure of trying to further legislate.” .When asked if he would be open to constitutional reform in Canada, Charest said the “conditions are not there,” because there needed to be “substantial” buy-in and preparation on behalf of the provinces..“But that doesn’t mean that there are not alternative things that can be done in the meantime, that would allow this federal system of ours to work more effectively,” Charest said. “I know how this federal system works, and I know how to make it work to get big things done. It would be a breath of fresh air in Ottawa.”.When asked about appointing elected senators from Alberta, Charest said the representation of the provinces in the Senate was “one of the issues that need to be addressed,” and that it was an option he would look at..“There are probably other options that would allow the provinces a say in how we nominate senators,” he said. “I’m open to those ideas, and if the province of Alberta wants to bring something forward and say ‘here’s something that we would like to do,’ I would be very open to that.”.While Charest acknowledged Canada’s equalization payment scheme is “imperfect,” he said it is written into the constitution and cannot be discarded. He said equalization payments should continue to be revised every five years, “with a view of making it fair to everyone, including Alberta.”.Matthew Horwood is an Ottawa Parliamentary reporter for the Western Standard
