NANAIMO: Jean-Yves Duclos has claimed that Pierre Poilievre wants an election sooner rather than later because Canadians will better understand the carbon tax by next year, and have learned to love it.In a press conference alongside Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, the Liberal MP claimed the Conservative leader was in a tough spot, despite the fact that recent polls show the official opposition besting the incumbents by a nearly two to one margin.."How do you explain the fact that he is doing so well in the polls?" a reporter asked. "You say, 'oh he doesn't have a plan to fight climate change,' but Canadians, polls suggest, are pretty supportive of him. How do you make sense of that?"Guilbeault noted that there had been a "shift" in opinion regarding the carbon tax as of late, and admitted that the Liberals "need to do a better job of explaining" their policies. He argued, however, that explaining the issue to Canadians was "more complex" than simply saying axe the tax altogether.As the reporter began asking their next question, Duclos jumped in and offered his take on carbon pricing."One reason Pierre Poilievre might want to have an election very soon on 'axe the tax' and carbon pricing," he said, "is that he's starting to feel the change in Canadians' understanding of the great value of that carbon pricing."Duclos went on to note that the Liberals had "changed the name to make it better understood that it is a carbon rebate," claiming that eight out of ten Canadians will receive more than they pay in."That's not good news for Pierre Poilievre, who has never acknowledged that with carbon pricing also comes a carbon rebate, which makes life more affordable for eight families out of ten," he continued. "It's very rare that an economic policy achieves the goal of reducing pollution and putting more money in the pockets of middle class and lower-income Canadians."Duclos concluded by suggesting Poilievre, "knows that and fears that Canadians are starting to understand that it is good for affordability, it's also good for reducing pollution, and ... it's also great for prosperity, economic growth, and the creation of good middle class jobs throughout Canada."A poll conducted by Leger following the end of the Liberal-NDP agreement found that a plurality of voters, 38%, want an election "this fall," slightly more than the 37% who said "in October 2025, as it is planned." The data showed that Conservatives have the most support, with 45%, compared to just 25% for the Liberals and 15% for the NDP.
