Palmer: BC premier goes after Poilievre over carbon tax, affordability

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VICTORIA – Premier David Eby was on the defensive Monday, responding to federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre’s latest criticism of the pending 23 per cent increase in the carbon tax made in British Columbia.

Poilievre wrote to Eby last week urging him not to proceed with the next provincial carbon tax increase, scheduled for April 1.

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He also called on British Columbia’s premier to join seven other Canadian prime ministers and ask Ottawa to halt the next increase in the parallel federal carbon tax, which takes effect the same day.

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Eby responded, stung by the federal leader’s intrusion into the provincial arena on the politically sensitive issue of a tax increase.

“I don’t live in Pierre Poilievre’s campaign office or the nonsense factory,” fumed Eby, whose own campaign for provincial office is underway.

Poilievre soon responded in kind to the prime minister’s personal attack.

“Under NDP Premier Eby and Justin Trudeau, many British Columbians are forced to eat nonsense because they can’t afford anything else,” the federal opposition leader told CHEK TV’s Rob Shaw.

“In Vancouver it takes 29 years to save for a down payment. Food bank use is at record levels. We have tent cities all over Vancouver Island because people can’t afford to pay rent.

“Justin Trudeau and the NDP believe now is the time to raise people’s taxes by 23 per cent. “It’s crazy.”

Eby responded to Poilievre during a press conference on Monday, but without mentioning any more nonsense.

Instead, he described the issue as “challenging,” given the complexities of the federal and provincial carbon tax regimes.

BC is allowed to administer its pioneering carbon tax as long as it rises at the same rate as the federal rate. Otherwise, Ottawa would replace it with its own tax.

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Eby says needy British Columbians would be deprived of the upcoming increase in the province’s climate tax credit.

If the federal opposition leader was truly concerned about affordability, he would need to consider “all aspects,” Eby said.

He suggested that Poilievre could approach BC Conservative Leader John Rustad and BC United Leader Kevin Falcon (both have been surfing the wave of opposition generated by Poilievre to the carbon tax) and instead urge them to support the programs. of the BC NDP government’s housing plan.

Eby, enthusiastic about the political blame game, returned to another topic in which he disdains Poilievre’s position.

“He and Mr. Rustad, in the midst of a measles outbreak in Quebec and measles cases in British Columbia, are advocating for unvaccinated healthcare workers to be given free rein in our hospitals and long-term care homes. “Eby accused on Friday. .

“Measles kills babies. Thats the reality. “Unvaccinated healthcare workers, if there is a measles outbreak in British Columbia and it spreads in communities, they will bring measles into our hospitals.”

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On Monday, Eby again expressed exasperation with the way the two conservative leaders were handling the issue.

“I don’t understand how these people think,” he told reporters, although he acknowledged that he was probably the “least appropriate” person to analyze conservative policies.

“I will let Mr. Poilievre explain his thought processes,” the BC premier said with obvious contempt.

The exchange of rhetorical fire between British Columbia’s premier and the federal opposition leader was unusual. Most BC politicians stick to their side of the federal-provincial divide.

But attacking the NDP prime minister suited Poilievre because Justin Trudeau would not be prime minister without the support of the NDP. It suited Eby because he hopes to win votes from British Columbians who vote Liberal in the federal election.

Still, in pursuing Poilievre, Eby is taking on the only political leader whose popularity in British Columbia rivals his own.

Depending on the results of the upcoming federal and provincial elections, Premier Eby could be forced to deal with Premier Poilievre.

“I am sure that if Mr. Poilievre is elected prime minister, I will find a way to have a working relationship with him,” Eby told reporters.

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“But I hope that if he gets that position, he will base his decisions and his work with our province on reality and the lived experience of British Columbians rather than ideology.”

Eby was asked about the latest Angus Reid Foundation poll showing that 51 per cent of respondents in British Columbia said “it’s time for a change of government.”

The same survey showed that people couldn’t agree on a substitute. PND: 43 percent. BC Conservatives: 22. BC United: 22. Greens 12.

The prime minister says that the only poll that counts is the one on October 19 and that until then it is his job to lay out what to expect from a second term of the Eby government.

One projection that likely won’t be in the top package is a continued increase in the carbon tax, which the New Democrats have transformed into a cash cow.

His budget and tax plan, presented in February, says the carbon tax will raise $9 billion over three years.

The New Democrats plan to return $3.5 billion in climate action tax credits to low- and middle-income people, and spend the rest as they see fit.

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