The left-right sequence, carbon tax and cost of living proves to be a winning combination for Poilievre.
Even in Quebec, the conservative discourse on the affordability and price of gasoline is bearing fruit.
One swallow doesn’t make a spring, but a poll released this week suggests there’s a three-way race in Quebec between the Bloc, the Liberals and the Conservatives. The three parties are neck and neck at around 30%.
Let’s see if the trend continues, but there is cause for concern on the block.
Bad mood
Poilievre managed to capture the mood of the population. And conversely, the Liberals were unwilling to defend their plan to combat climate change in a difficult economic environment.
Amid the discontent, Justin Trudeau watered down his wine yesterday by doubling federal compensation for those living in rural areas and eliminating the carbon tax on oil heaters in the Atlantic for three years.
It’s quite a turnaround.
The Liberals made the mistake of thinking that the carbon tax debate was dead and buried.
After all, they won the last two elections with their support and the Supreme Court ruled in their favor that they have the right to impose a law on the provinces.
Even the Conservatives have introduced some form of carbon pricing under Erin O’Toole.
Making polluters pay and then using that money to put it back into the pockets of Canadians is a perfectly reasonable idea for reducing our carbon emissions, right?
Almost all serious economists believe that this is one of the best ways to combat climate change at low cost, including the IMF, which is anything but a benchmark for radical ecologists.
Then came the pandemic, a housing and cost-of-living crisis, and a Conservative leader hammering away at that nail like his political life depended on it.
Result: Two-thirds of Canadians believe this is the worst time to raise the carbon tax.
Worse, in Quebec most people are willing to pay more at the pump to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by a measly 24%!
Even a Liberal MP from Newfoundland recently voted with the Conservatives to repeal the carbon tax.
Butter it thickly
Pierre Poilievre thrives on this feeling and spends millions on advertising in Quebec and elsewhere in the country.
Is food expensive? Carbon tax! Petrol? Carbon tax! Furniture, appliances, heating? Carbon tax!
The increase in prices for almost all goods and services is due to carbon pricing.
She has a broad back!
This is the genius of the Poilievre argument, even if its claims are greatly exaggerated.
First, the carbon tax does not apply in Quebec. Second, the vast majority of Canadians receive more from Ottawa than they ultimately pay.
It is Albertans who will receive the biggest federal check. A family of four collects more than $1,500 in reimbursements per year! We are a long way from a symbolic payment.
Three specifically: Carbon pricing imposed on polluters who pass the bill on to consumers contributes little to inflation.
It’s not much, but it’s not zero.
Therefore, we cannot accuse Poilievre of outright lying. He exaggerates, but who will be surprised that a politician is so fat?
