Statement sent by O’Toole to True North was made after increasing speculation he may have been hedging on his opposition to the policy.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole has reiterated his commitment to scrapping the Trudeau Carbon Tax.
According to a report by True North News, O’Toole says he will scrap the policy:
“Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole reaffirmed on Wednesday that he would repeal the Liberal carbon tax following a report that alleged that party MPs were worried O’Toole would implement his own federal levy.
“I have been clear that an O’Toole government would repeal the Trudeau Carbon Tax that makes everything from gas to groceries more expensive for Canadians,” O’Toole told True North in an emailed statement on the matter.”
Multiple reports have indicated concern within the party that O’Toole would end up supporting a carbon tax, reports which match what I have heard from some within the party as well.
As I wrote yesterday, a reversal on the carbon tax would be devastating for the CPC:
“Right now, many disgruntled people are sticking with the CPC because it is the only party that can defeat Justin Trudeau. After all, given Trudeau’s incompetence, a boring and bland competent dude would be a step up.
However, if O’Toole were to flip on the carbon tax, in effect supporting a Trudeau policy that is widely despised among Canadian Conservatives, it would be devastating for the party.
How could the party go to people and ask for donations and volunteers after such a flip?
How could they have credibility in the future when criticizing Trudeau on other issues, when everyone will just be waiting for them to flip on those as well?
How could they possibly retain credibility as defenders of Canada’s energy sector if they back a policy that is pushing jobs and investment out of Canada, crippling the energy industry, and enriching competitor nations?”
Pressure within the party?
O’Toole’s statement could represent either a genuine ideological commitment to opposing the carbon tax, or an acknowledgment of political reality, that reality being the Conservative Party would be in huge trouble with their own supporters if they flipped.
Only time will tell which one is the case.
You can read the full True North report here.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – YouTube
