NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has delivered another blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, this time opposing the imposition of the controversial carbon tax on Canadians. Singh last week dissolved the Supply and Confidence Agreement he made with Trudeau in 2021, a coalition that has propped up the Trudeau Liberals’ minority since the last election. The coalition agreement meant the NDP would support Liberal policy as long as the Liberals agreed to usher through NDP demands like dental and pharmacare. The NDP will make its own climate plan before the next election campaign, said Singh in Montreal after his party caucus meetings, per the Globe and Mail. “We want to see an approach to fighting the climate crisis where it doesn’t put the burden on the backs of working people,” said Singh.Deputy Conservative Leader Melissa Lantsman told the Western Standard, “No Canadian believes Sellout Jagmeet Singh for one second.""Singh and the NDP have betrayed workers by voting for the carbon tax at least 24 times, making the cost of groceries, fuel, and home heating soar and forcing record numbers of Canadians to rely on food banks and live in homeless encampments," said Lantsman.Liberal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault later on Thursday posted a video to social media slamming the NDPs for "caving" to pressure from from the Tories, calling Poilievre's carbon tax campaign "misinformation and disinformation.""Putting a price on pollution is the best way to reduce emissions," said Guilbeault.He said Singh and the NDP rejected the carbon tax "at the expense of our environment and our children’s future.". The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said Singh’s statement isn’t enough, and the NDP leader needs to make it official, urging him to “formally call on” the prime minister to “scrap the carbon tax.”“It’s good to hear Singh start to talk about opposing the carbon tax, but that’s not enough,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director, in a press release Thursday.“Singh must prove to taxpayers he’s serious and forcefully push Trudeau to completely scrap the carbon tax.”Terrazzano reiterated what the carbon tax is actually costing Canadians — “currently 17 cents per litre of gasoline, 21 cents per litre of diesel and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.”“Trudeau plans to increase the carbon tax to 37 cents per litre of gasoline by 2030.” .The Parliamentary Budget Officer earlier confirmed the carbon tax is a “net overall cost for average families when all costs are included,” said Terrazzano, adding the Trudeau Liberals charges GST on top of the carbon tax. “This carbon tax-on-tax will cost taxpayers $595 million this year. That money is not rebated back to Canadians,” said Terrazzano. He pointed to late NDP leader Jack Layton’s opposition to the carbon tax in the early 2000s. “Canada is a cold place and heating your home really isn’t a choice,” said Layton at the time. “We shouldn’t punish people, and that’s what a carbon tax does.” “Layton opposed the carbon tax and he was proven right at the ballot box,” said Terrazzano. “Singh needs to follow that example and fight the carbon tax to prove he cares about taxpayers.”Singh on Thursday said the NDP will focus primarily on the cost of food, affordable housing, indigenous “justice,” climate policy and job creation. “That’s our vision for the next Parliamentary session,” said Singh, which resumes from summer break on Monday,” said Singh.“Those are our priorities.”Since he pulled from the agreement, Singh and his party will now be making legislative decisions on a case-by-case basis. He has so far refused to comment on whether he is in favour of a non-confidence vote. Tory leader Pierre Poilievre said this week that he intends to introduce a non-confidence motion as soon as possible when Parliament resumes.If Singh "was serious about helping Canadians he would commit today to voting no confidence in the Trudeau Liberal Government at the earliest possible opportunity so that Canadians can have a carbon tax election," Lantsman told the Western Standard. "But instead Sellout Jagmeet Singh repeatedly refuses to commit to voting no confidence.”
