Liberal MP Who Broke Ranks on Vote to Axe Carbon Tax Says Policy is Hurting Rural Canadians

A woman fills up her vehicle with gas in Toronto on April 1, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov)

The Liberal MP who broke ranks with his government to vote in favour of the Conservative’s motion to axe the carbon tax, said the policy is hurting both rural Canadians and the Liberals’ chances of being re-elected.

“I did that because I believe we have to change the way we’re approaching the climate change incentive or whatever you want to call it. I think what we’re using right now, at this time, at this point in time, is putting a bigger burden on people who are now struggling with an affordability crisis,” Liberal MP Ken McDonald said Oct. 6, on CBC’s “Power and Politics.”

“Everywhere I go, people come up to me and say, ‘You know, we’re losing faith in the Liberal Party.’”

On Oct. 4, a non-binding motion was introduced calling for the government to repeal the carbon tax through legislation in a bid to bring down the cost of gas, groceries, and home heating. The motion failed 209 to 119, with the Liberals, New Democrats, Bloc Quebecois, and Greens voting against it.

Mr. McDonald was the lone Liberal MP in the House of Commons to vote in favour of the motion, earning him the applause of Conservative MPs. He also voted in favour of a similar motion in October 2022.

He said on Oct. 5 that he voted against the policy to also show support for Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey, who has asked the federal government to do more to minimize the tax’s impact on the province and Atlantic Canada.

Mr. McDonald has been the MP for the riding of Avalon since 2015, and was the former mayor of Conception Bay South, the second-largest municipality in N.L. He said many people in his primarily rural riding have told him the carbon tax has been making it more difficult for them to afford to buy groceries and heat their homes.

“And that hurts to hear, from especially seniors who live alone and tell me they go around their house in the spring and winter time with a blanket wrapped around them because they can’t afford the home heating fuel, and they can’t afford to buy beef or chicken,” he said.

He added that because everything must be shipped to Newfoundland by boat or by truck, the cost added to the fuel gets added to “every item that gets on a store shelf.”

‘This One Is Hitting Home’

The carbon tax rose by $15 per tonne to $65  in April, and will reach $110 in 2026, before topping out at $170 in 2030. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has repeatedly argued that the tax will lead to higher transportation costs, and as a result more expensive consumer goods.

Mr. McDonald previously lobbied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a special policy in regard to his riding, including a carbon tax rebate, according to CBC News. He believes that if the Liberals do not address Canadians’ concerns about the tax, they will not only lose seats in Newfoundland in the next election, but across Canada.

“I don’t profess to know all the answers or the best policies or the best programs to put in place, but this one is hitting home to everybody I speak to, and it’s a grassroots issue,” he said. “And if an election were called today, I am not sure if the Liberal Party would actually form the government.”

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According to Mr. McDonald, the party needs to put a “rural lens” on the carbon tax and come up with a plan that is satisfactory to Canadians. “Maybe no plan will be appealable to rural, I don’t know, but I think the government has to try, and if they do that, I think they got a chance of moving past it.”