Trudeau calls out 'short-term thinker' politicians as premiers urge him to freeze carbon price hike

As a growing number of premiers urge the federal government to pause an upcoming increase to the federal carbon tax, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed back on what he called "short-term thinker" politicians and defended his government's deeply divisive policy.

"My job is not to be popular, although it helps," Trudeau said during a news conference in Calgary Wednesday.

"My job is to do the right things for Canada now, and do the right things for Canadians a generation from now."

His visit to Alberta to meet with Premier Danielle Smith, one of the most aggressive opponents of the federal carbon pricing program, comes as most premiers have called on the government to either scrap the program or pause the increase scheduled for April 1 until inflation mellows.

At the beginning of next month, the carbon price is scheduled to increase from $65 to $80 per tonne.

Trudeau showed no signs of bowing to pressure from the premiers.

"That's an easy thing for short-term thinker politicians to say, 'Oh, we'll get rid of the price.' They don't talk about the fact that they're also going to get rid of that cheque, the Canada carbon rebate, that puts more money in the pockets of the vast majority of Canadians," Trudeau said.

The federal price on carbon was introduced by the Liberal government in 2019 and is designed as a financial incentive to encourage people and businesses to cut their consumption of fossil fuels and transition to greener forms of energy.

Canadians living in the eight provinces with the federal carbon tax receive quarterly rebate payments.

N.L. premier writes to Trudeau

On Tuesday, Liberal Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey shared an open letter to the prime minister saying that while his government is "deeply invested in environmental sustainability," the scheduled increase will add to residents' financial burdens.

So far, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan — which says it will no longer remit the money it owes for the carbon price on natural gas, as required by law —  Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have weighed in, calling for Trudeau to pause or cancel the coming increase.

British Columbia, Quebec and the Northwest Territories follow their own carbon-pricing mechanisms that meet federal standards and are exempt from the federal program.

The fight over the increase is expected to dominate the House of Commons when MPs return next week after a two-week break.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre already has said he'll force multiple votes in Parliament next week to stop what he's calling "Trudeau's April Fools' tax hike."

"Trudeau is facing a provincial revolt," he said in a statement Wednesday. "But Trudeau isn't listening."

The government has made a concession on its program already. Facing pressure from within caucus from Atlantic MPs in the fall, Trudeau announced his government will exempt home heating oil from the tax for three years.

Trudeau said the pause is meant to give rural Canadians more time to switch to alternative sources like electric heat pumps, but ruled out any other exemptions.

"There will absolutely not be any other carve-outs or suspensions of the price on pollution," said Trudeau in October.