Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will soon have to deal with a vote in the House to decide if carbon tax relief for heating homes should be extended to all households in Canada.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre challenged the prime minister on Wednesday, urging him to call a carbon tax election.“Mr. Poilievre has no plan to fight climate change and therefore no plan for the economy,” Trudeau told reporters. “Do you want to fight the next election on the carbon tax?” asked a reporter. “I think Canadians are deeply, deeply concerned about the need to continue to fight climate change,” replied Trudeau.Conservative MPs served notice of a House motion to be put to a vote next week stating “That given the government has announced a ‘temporary three-year pause’ to the federal carbon tax on home heating oil, the House call on the government to extend that pause to all forms of home heating.” The majority of Canadians use natural gas for home heating.“We all know we are not going to agree on the carbon tax,” Poilievre said in a speech to the caucus. “The prime minister wants to raise it, I want to axe it. We all know that. But now he is admitting taxing people’s home heat does nothing for the environment and makes people worse off.”“Let’s make a deal,” said Poilievre. “Let’s pause the carbon tax on all home heating until Canadians go to the polls so we can have a carbon tax election.”Conservative MPs in the House of Commons mocked the cabinet.“Let’s go,” shouted one MP. “Bring it on,” said another. “If the prime minister wants to run an election on the carbon tax, we will win,” Conservative MP John Barlow (Foothills, AB) told reporters.“What makes the difference this time?” asked a reporter. “People are feeling it,” replied Barlow. “I think when it was $25 a tonne, people weren’t feeling it in their pocketbook. Now they can’t afford groceries.”The cabinet announced last Thursday that, effective November 10, they will suspend the 17¢ per litre carbon tax on home heating oil until after the next election.Oil is used in about 40% of Atlantic Canada homes for heating, a region where the Liberal Party last elected 24 MPs.“The prime minister has made it very clear that only those who vote for Liberals will get relief on their home heating, which has divided Canada and undermined the fight against the climate crisis,” New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh told the Commons on Wednesday.Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced that starting January 1, Sask Energy would stop collecting the 12¢ per cubic meter federal carbon tax for around 400,000 natural gas customers.READ MORE Moe ‘disappointed’ with Trudeau over carbon tax, Duncan ready for ‘carbon jail'The Cabinet has not provided any comments regarding whether or not they will take any action in response to the Saskatchewan carbon tax strike.“I am not here to provide legal advice in terms of the action Saskatchewan has taken,” Attorney General Arif Virani told reporters. “What I’d say is we stand by the carbon pricing program.”
