EDITORIAL: Toxic carbon tax losing former allies

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A clear example of the political poison the federal carbon tax has become to many Canadians is that NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh appears to be backing away from it.

Speaking on Thursday in Montreal, Singh said the NDP will present a new climate plan before the next federal election that will make big polluters pay their fair share but “doesn’t put the burden on the backs of working people.”

Singh did not commit to calling for the elimination of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax — which in this context means the federal fuel charge on 22 different forms of fossil fuel energy, including gasoline and natural gas used for residential heating.

It currently stands at $80 per tonne of industrial greenhouse gas emissions rising annually to $130 per tonne in 2030.

But it does mark another break between the NDP and the Liberals in the wake of Singh “ripping up” his supply and confidence deal with them originally intended to delay an election until next fall.

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Singh was already drifting away from supporting Trudeau’s carbon tax before the NDP’s formal break-up with the Liberals earlier this month.

In April, he appeared to question the wisdom of increasing the tax annually up to 2030.

All of this puts Singh closer to the position of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who called for Singh to abandon his governing deal with Trudeau prior to the NDP leader doing so and who says he will introduce a non-confidence motion when Parliament resumes next week, leading to an election on the carbon tax if it passes.

It won’t pass given the current party standings in the House of Commons and Singh says the difference between the NDP and the Conservatives on the issue is that the NDP will have a climate change plan heading into the next election, whereas Poilievre has none.

But by questioning the value of the carbon tax, Singh is breaking away from the Trudeau government’s mantra that it is the most economical and efficient way to reduce emissions and that the rebate system puts more money into the pockets of working people than they pay in carbon taxes, a view shared by most economists.

The NDP leader appears to have concluded this argument doesn’t pass the smell test.