NDP House Leader Peter Julian rises during Question Period, Friday, October 27, 2023 in Ottawa. The New Democrats are breaking with the Liberals and their own support of carbon pricing to back the Conservatives on a motion to pull the carbon price off all home heating until after the next election. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – The New Democrats say they will back the Conservatives on a motion to pull the carbon price off all home heating until after the next election.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tabled the motion today, insisting the government’s decision last week to temporarily pause carbon pricing for home heating oil for three years is a divisive policy to save Liberal seats in Atlantic Canada.
The Liberals say the pause helps Canadians across the country, with a majority of home heating oil households being outside the Atlantic region.
Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says home heating oil is two to four times more expensive than natural gas, and the carbon price rebate often does not fully cover its cost, though that rebate is enough to cover costs for those who use natural gas.
NDP House leader Peter Julian says his party tried to amend the motion to lift the GST off home heating fuels too, but since that failed, it will vote for the Conservative motion in an effort to ensure fairness.
Julian says this vote clearly does not apply to the NDP’s supply-and-confidence agreement to support the minority Liberals, which only applies to key votes, including those that could topple the government.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2023.
