OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Liberal Party leadership candidate Mark Carney to clearly state whether he will scrap the carbon tax.  

“Taxpayers have one simple question for anyone who wants to be prime minister: Will you scrap the carbon tax?” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Carney is running on his economic expertise as a central banker, but his response on the carbon tax didn’t provide any clarity beyond a vague suggestion he’s working on a replacement scheme.

“Carney won’t have a shred of credibility until he has a clear answer to the most important question on affordability: Will you scrap the carbon tax?”

Carney was unclear about his position on the carbon tax during his leadership launch.

“If you are going to take out the carbon tax, we should replace it with something that is at least, if not more, effective,” Carney said. “Perception may be that it takes out more than the rebate provides but reality is different, and Canadians will miss that money, so you need a comprehensive approach.”

Other leadership candidates are providing more clarity.

Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland made her position known during an interview with CP24. 

“No more consumer-facing carbon tax,” Freeland said.

Former Trudeau government house leader Karina Gould said she would keep the carbon tax but would “immediately cancel the increase to the price on pollution ahead of April 1.”

The federal carbon tax is set to increase on April 1 to 21 cents per litre of gasoline, 25 cents per litre of diesel and 18 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.

“Canadians know what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinks, Canadians know what Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre thinks, and Canadians know what Freeland and Gould think,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director. “The only person who wants to be prime minister and hasn’t given a clear answer on the carbon tax is Carney.

“Anyone who wants to be a credible candidate for prime minister owes Canadians a crystal-clear answer to this question: Will you scrap the carbon tax?”