The federal leader of the New Democrats spent Monday insisting his party91裸聊视频檚 position on carbon pricing remains unchanged.
But Jagmeet Singh refused to say explicitly whether he supports the consumer levy, and Canadians having to pay it on everyday items like gasoline.
91裸聊视频淥ur position is not changed 91裸聊视频� at all,91裸聊视频� he told reporters.
91裸聊视频淲e absolutely support a price on pollution. We91裸聊视频檝e always supported it.91裸聊视频�
Singh faced reporters for the first time since a speech last week at the annual Progress Summit, where he created confusion about the NDP position on the federal consumer levy on fuel.
In the address, Singh sang the praises of 91裸聊视频渁ffordable, low-carbon options91裸聊视频� and vowed to 91裸聊视频渘ot punish people91裸聊视频� who can91裸聊视频檛 change how they heat their homes or get to work.
He later said the New Democrats would be putting forward a vision to tackle climate change that would emphasize initiatives with the most impact, such as methane regulations and a carbon price on industrial emitters.
91裸聊视频淢ake those even stricter, make those even stronger, look at other ways for us to really take on big polluters,91裸聊视频� Singh told reporters last Thursday.
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 want working people to feel like they91裸聊视频檙e shouldering the burden. That91裸聊视频檚 not fair. And frankly, not a New Democrat solution to the problem.91裸聊视频�
His comments followed those of NDP environment critic Laurel Collins, who said carbon pricing was not the 91裸聊视频渂e-all, end-all91裸聊视频� of climate action as she explained the NDP91裸聊视频檚 decision to vote alongside Conservatives for a parliamentary motion critical of the Liberal policy.
The NDP has long championed carbon pricing and inked it into its 2019 campaign.
The apparent shift in tone even seemed to flummox Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who last week admitted he doesn91裸聊视频檛 understand the NDP91裸聊视频檚 position.
Trudeau noted that Singh is facing 91裸聊视频減olitical pressure91裸聊视频� from conservative premiers and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who want to scrap the policy.
Poilievre has indeed been travelling the country, including to NDP strongholds across British Columbia and northern Ontario, to rally supporters around his 91裸聊视频渁xe the tax91裸聊视频� message.
Public opinion polls show both the NDP and Liberals are bleeding support to the Conservatives as Poilievre champions affordability as his main issue, painting the supply-and-confidence agreement they entered into in March 2022 as a 91裸聊视频渃ostly coalition.91裸聊视频�
The NDP says the deal has delivered Canadians wins on pharmacare and dental care, although it has been a struggle for that to sink in.
While the Tory leader blames the consumer carbon price for adding to Canadians91裸聊视频� anxieties about affordability, both the Liberals and NDP accuse him of having no plan to tackle climate change.
Following Singh91裸聊视频檚 speech last week, the NDP released a statement insisting it supports the 91裸聊视频渃onsumer carbon price.91裸聊视频�
But when asked Monday to clarify whether he maintains that position himself, Singh would only say the party91裸聊视频檚 voting record makes clear that it supports 91裸聊视频渁 price on pollution,91裸聊视频� not specifying whether that includes a levy paid by consumers despite multiple questions to that effect.
91裸聊视频淲e absolutely support a price on pollution. We have not changed our position on that,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淲e need to make sure we fight the climate crisis with everything we have, but the Liberals are eroding that trust by not supporting working-class people,91裸聊视频� Singh added.
He accused the Liberal government of continuing to provide subsides to oil and gas companies without providing supports to working-class families.
Singh had earlier chided Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 move to exempt home heating oil from the carbon price for three years, calling it a divisive decision.
Nearly one in three households in Atlantic Canada relies on home heating oil, and the carve-out to the government91裸聊视频檚 signature climate policy came after Liberal MPs in the region raised concerns about the rising cost of living.
Trudeau and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault have ruled out making any further exceptions.
That91裸聊视频檚 despite demands from Western premiers, like Saskatchewan91裸聊视频檚 Scott Moe, who say households that use natural gas should get the same break.
Moe is among a majority of provincial leaders, including lone Liberal Premier Andrew Furey of Newfoundland and Labrador, who are asking Trudeau to convene a meeting to discuss alternatives to the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau has said provinces were on board when the government decided to move ahead with carbon pricing years ago.
Today91裸聊视频檚 premiers are too busy complaining and not coming up with their own plans to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, the prime minister has charged.
A Conservative motion calling on Trudeau to sit down with premiers for a televised meeting passed in the House of Commons last week with support from the NDP and the Bloc Qu茅b茅cois.
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