Liberal House leader calls Poilievre 'fraudster' as Parliament resumes

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OTTAWA — MPs weren’t waiting for the House of Commons to resume before letting loose with the insults on Monday.

Government House leader Karina Gould fired the first shots at a news conference on Monday morning, calling Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a “fraudster” and a “bully” in response to comments he made on Sunday.

“What I heard yesterday from Mr. Poilievre was so over the top, so irresponsible, so immature, something that only a fraudster would do,” Gould said in the foyer of the House of Commons.

“When he is focused on having an election based on the carbon price, what he’s trying to do is distract Canadians from his real agenda.”

Poilievre told his caucus on Sunday they’d continue upping the pressure on ending the carbon tax, describing the government’s plans as a “nuclear winter” for the economy.

“Inflation would run rampant, people would not be able to leave their homes or drive anywhere,” Poilievre said.

Monday marked the first day of the House of Commons’ fall sitting after an extraordinary summer that saw Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plummet in the polls and the NDP pull out of a two-year-old supply and confidence agreement with the minority government Liberals.

Crowds of protesters also gathered on the sidewalk along Wellington St. outside of West Block Monday morning, waving anti-Trudeau flags and signs.

Poilievre also took aim on Sunday at Jagmeet Singh and his apparent change of heart over both the carbon tax and the now-annulled supply and confidence agreement.

“If Jagmeet Singh gets the chance, he will reverse himself once again and sell out the people in order to vote in favour of this carbon tax coalition,” said Poilievre.

Green Leader Elizabeth May likewise had a go at Singh on Monday, when she referred to the NDP as the “no discernible principles” party and accused Singh of parroting Poilievre’s lines on the carbon tax, who last week called on the Liberals to impose pollution measures that don’t add to the burden of working Canadians.

Singh, in his own news conference later that morning, said Canadians have had enough of the PM.

“People are telling us again and again they are fed up with and frustrated with Justin Trudeau, who has let big corporate grocery stores rip them off,” Singh said.

“He’s let big corporate landlords jack up rents, so people tell me they’re finished with and done with Justin Trudeau.”

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When asked about his apparent alignment with the Tories over carbon taxes, Singh framed his stance as a call for polluting industries to take a bigger role.

“Canadians are doing their part,” Singh said.

“What we’re not seeing are big polluters doing their share. In fact, what we’re seeing is Justin Trudeau and the Liberals giving them a free ride, so while people are doing their part, they see these big polluters — who are the major concern here and the major problem — having a free ride and getting all sorts of public money.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume