Rota votes to keep carbon tax

A Leger poll shows 57 per cent of Canadians want the federal government to remove the carbon tax from everyone’s home heating bills. 

That didn't stop the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois voting together Monday to strike down a Conservative motion calling on the federal government to extend a carbon tax exemption to all forms of home heating, not just heating oil.

Nipissing—Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota voted with fellow Liberals against the motion, telling BayToday, “The decision to vote against the Conservative motion was based on principle and concern for the environment, rather than political expediency. The motion offered no alternative to fight climate change, only abandonment of the system we have in place.  I will continue to work hard towards making energy efficiency available to all Canadians.“

Conservatives claim political expediency, is partially to blame for their motion saying the carbon tax chaos has created two classes of Canadians.

"When asked why the carbon tax was paused for only a select few, the Liberal Rural Affairs Minister said that if other Canadians wanted to be able to afford to heat their homes or feed their children, they should have elected more Liberals," says a Conservative news release.

"If that's the case, why aren't Canadians in Sudbury, North Bay, and Thunder Bay feeling the relief? Why did Liberal MPs like Anthony Rota, Viviane Lapointe, Marc Serré, Marcus Powlowski, and Patty Hajdu vote to make the lives of the people who voted for them more expensive?

"Justin Trudeau isn't making decisions to benefit Canadians. He's making decisions to try and save himself and northern Ontarians are paying the price."

Canadian Taxpayers Federation Federal Director Franco Terrazzano says the majority of Canadians don’t think the government should be taxing people for heating their homes. “The numbers from every region show Canadians know it’s unfair to give some people a break on their home heating bills, but not everyone. The federal government needs to listen to the people and take the carbon tax off of home heating bills.”

The federal government is removing the carbon tax from home heating oil for three years. However, that carbon tax relief only helps three per cent of Canadian homes.

The Leger poll asked Canadians if they support removing the carbon tax from all forms of home heating energy. 

• 57 per cent of Canadians want carbon tax relief for all home heating
• 21 per cent oppose extending the carbon tax exemption
• 22 per cent said they are unsure

Meanwhile, Canada's premiers are unanimous in saying Ottawa's recent changes to its carbon pricing measures were unfairly applied across the country.

They released a statement after a meeting in Halifax, calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure federal policies, such as carbon pricing, are delivered in an equitable way, "particularly in light of the affordability challenges being faced across the country."

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault was adamant there will not be any further adjustments to Canada's carbon-pricing system,

“As long as I’m the environment minister, there will be no more exemptions to carbon pricing,” Guilbeault told The Canadian Press in an interview.

Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suddenly announced that the government would provide a temporary, three-year pause from the carbon price for people who use home heating oil. 

The measure was welcomed in Atlantic Canada, where a disproportionately large number of homes and businesses use heating oil.