Federal environment minister visits London hoping to reverse messaging on carbon tax
Canada’s minister of Environment and Climate Change visited London Monday, doing his best to reverse the mostly negative messaging around the Liberal government’s controversial carbon program.
Steven Guilbeault was joined by London West MP Arielle Kayabaga as the Liberal pair stopped into Pizza Quest, a small business at Base Line and Wharncliffe roads.
They enjoyed a slice of pizza for breakfast, but what Guilbeault really wants is for Canadians to chew the fat on Canada’s carbon rebate program.
“We can bury our head in the sand like Pierre Poilievre and not do anything about it and pretend that climate change isn’t there, or you can take action,” he said to the assembled media.
Monday marks the last day small and medium sized businesses can file tax returns to qualify for the carbon rebate. It’s also the day Ontarians can get their piece of the carbon pie.
“About 600,000 SMBs across the country will receive $2.5 billion in share, $2.5 billion in return revenues from some carbon pricing,” explained Guilbeault. “And today, the 15th, is also the moment that people in Ontario will receive their quarterly payment to individuals and small businesses.”
“Talk about a carbon rebate that's going back into eight out of 10 families across Canada, that’s the work that we’re focused on doing,” added Kayabaga.
But that work has been an uphill battle when it comes to the messaging around the carbon program, with the federal Conservatives winning in painting a negative picture of the program.
The challenge for the Liberals is to reverse that message before the next election.
“We're doing this because we're seeing everywhere between forest fires, floodings, heat waves, more and more the impacts of climate change,” said Guilbeault.
“Carbon pricing is a fairly simple mechanism. You put a price on pollution. People will be more careful with the amount of pollution they put out there,” he explained.
Guilbeault said carbon pricing will be responsible for 40 per cent of pollution reduction by 2030.
As for Pizza Quest owner George Paez, he said he likes the rebate, but he’s on the fence about the carbon program overall.
“It needs to be done because people, when it hits their pocket they might be more strict of doing things. But again, I would say 50-50 on that because I’m not a politician,” said Paez.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
NDP house leader laments 'agents of chaos' in precarious Parliament
NDP House leader Peter Julian says there's more his party wants to do in Parliament before the next election, but if the current dysfunction continues it will become a factor in how they vote on a confidence measure.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Here's what the jury didn't hear in Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial
A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.
Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.