Poilievre calls on Liberals to exempt all forms of home heating from carbon price

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the Liberals to exempt all forms of home heating from the carbon price, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an exemption on home heating oil.

The federal government announced last week it is increasing the carbon price rebate for rural Canadians and lifting the carbon price off home heating oil entirely for the next three years.

The changes come as affordability concerns leave their party flailing in the polls in Atlantic Canada.

Poilievre wrote a letter to Trudeau on Sunday urging the Liberals to expand the exemption to all forms of home heating, including natural gas which is more common in Western Canada.

In an interview with CTV News on the weekend, Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings said the Liberals’ Atlantic caucus pushed for the changes to home heating oil.

Hutchings suggested that perhaps Prairie provinces should elect more Liberals to push for exemptions that affect constituents in those provinces, prompting backlash, including from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

Will carbon pricing carve-outs for Western provinces and other home heating be possible?@Gudie says “Atlantic Caucus was vocal….and perhaps they need to elect more Liberals in the Prairies so that we can have that conversation as well.” #cdnpoli

More: pic.twitter.com/I85Whx0k6o

— CTV Question Period (@ctvqp) October 29, 2023

Axe the tax on home heating. For all Canadians. Now.
Sign: pic.twitter.com/uKVOXRUcb3

— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) October 29, 2023

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2023.