Poilievre tells MPs that Carbon pricing will cause economic 'nuclear winter'

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre signaled the Liberals' carbon price and the economy will remain his prime target when Parliament resumes this week.

He painted a dystopian picture during a Sunday morning speech to his caucus, saying the Liberal government’s plans to increase the price would cause a "nuclear winter" for the economy. 

"There would be mass hunger and malnutrition with a tax this high … our seniors would have to turn the heat down to 14 or 13 C just to make it through the winter," Poilievre said. 

"Inflation would run rampant and people would not be able to leave their homes or drive anywhere."

The Conservatives are the last of the major parties to have a fall strategy session after the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois all met last week.

Poilievre has maintained his party's commanding lead in the polls throughout the summer, and is preparing to make another push to topple the Liberal government as early as this week.

All parties are adjusting their autumn plans after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh ended the agreement that was ensuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government would stay in power.

Poilievre has promised to bring in notice of a non-confidence motion at his first opportunity, and that could happen as early as this week. The Tories would likely need the support of both the NDP and the Bloc to pass the motion, which appears unlikely.

Last week, Singh criticized both the Liberals and the Conservatives over their approaches to fighting climate change, but wouldn’t say whether he would keep the consumer carbon price if his party forms government after the next election.

Trudeau responded by accusing Singh of caving to political pressure from Poilievre.

Poilievre has not been fully clear on whether he would cancel both the consumer carbon levy, charged to individuals and smaller businesses, as well as the separate system that applies to big industry.

In his speech Sunday, Poilievre took shots at both Trudeau and Singh. "This crazy carbon tax obsession of Justin Trudeau and the NDP is an existential threat to our economy and our way of life," he said. 

Poilievre said despite the NDP pulling out of the supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals, Singh isn’t committing to voting to bring down the government and trigger an election. 

"Now on the eve of a byelection, sellout Jagmeet Singh wants you to believe he's a changed man. He's a totally new person. He's forgotten about everything he's been doing for two years."

As Parliament resumes on Monday, the political mood of the country will be tested in two byelections. 

The NDP are trying to fend off the Conservatives in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona and the Liberals are running a three-way race against the NDP and the Bloc in Montreal's LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. 

In a June byelection, the Conservatives scored a surprise win in the longtime Liberal stronghold of Toronto—St. Paul's.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.