But that is where their consent ends. Questions about what Canada should do with coal pricing, consumer compensation and the wider fight against climate change are still being debated among conservative leadership candidates. In many cases, the candidates’ master plans are still being written. And as cost of living issues clash with Canadians’ concerns about climate change, these plans could help decide who has the best chance of winning both the Conservatives and the electorate.

Poilievre holds the ax

Pierre Poilievre shouted his answer to the question of the carbon tax from the roofs. On Thursday night, he organized an event in Ottawa called the “Ax the Carbon Tax” rally. And this polarizing issue has gone one step further than its rivals. Instead of simply attacking the Liberals, Poilievre called the carbon tax policy “Trudeau-Charest-Brown.” While in Quebec, Prime Minister-designate Jean Charest introduced a system of pricing and carbon trading that effectively set a price on carbon emissions. Patrick Brown, another of Poulivre’s opponents, demanded a price for coal while leading the Ontario Progressive Conservatives. Both Brown and Charest have said they oppose the forthcoming federal increase. The Federal Liberals first introduced a national carbon price in 2018. Federal policy allows counties and regions to design their own carbon pricing systems, but imposes a carbon tax on non-carbon pricing jurisdictions. On April 1, 2022, the tax will increase to $ 50 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. The tonne is projected to increase to $ 170 by 2030. Pierre Poilievre tried to link his rivals to the leadership with the carbon tax. (Michael Bell / The Canadian Press)
Canadians under federal coal pricing regime receive benefit payments to offset higher prices. From July 2022, Canadians will automatically receive a climate action incentive payment every three months. Poilievre does not just want to stop the latest increase – he wants to kill the tax altogether. At a press conference at a tractor manufacturer in Saskatchewan beginning of MarchHe said there were “countless” ways to combat climate change without charging for coal. Thousands of economists, including Nobel Prize winnersargued that the carbon tax is the most effective means of rapidly reducing emissions. Many economists argue that carbon pricing creates commercial incentives for non-emitting energy sources. (Robert Short / CBC)
Instead of a tax, Poilievre said he would set clear targets for reducing emissions and let the provinces decide how to get there. Poilievre also spoke about the virtues of carbon capture and storage technologies and small modular nuclear reactors. It also proposes banning oil imports from “dictatorships” that do not meet Canada’s environmental or ethical standards.

Charest will unveil the environmental platform in May

Charest has no plans for a rally or social media dive targeting carbon tax. He tried, however, to make clear to the Conservatives his opposition to the forthcoming rate hike. In an article in the Toronto Sun, Charest argued that “we are in a cost-of-living crisis in this country” and that “an increase in carbon tax at this time will only hurt families and businesses in need.” Jean Charest said a government led by him would use coal pricing. (Dave Chidley / The Canadian Press)
Charest does not completely abandon coal pricing. In various media interviews, he said his plans for governance would include a price on coal. While Charest suggested that coal pricing should be targeted at industry rather than at the retail level and should not penalize rural Canadians, it has not gone into specific details. Charest has also talked about the benefits of energy sources and technologies that reduce emissions, such as biofuels, carbon sequestration and small modular nuclear reactors. Charest’s campaign says it will unveil its broader environmental plan in early May.

Brown says he will not repeat the mistake of the past regarding the carbon tax

While backing coal pricing as the leader of Ontario Progressive Conservatives, Brown has also spoken out against the April 1 increase. He wrote to Treasury Secretary Chrystia Freeland in early March asking her to reconsider, citing rising energy costs and economic turmoil. Patrick Brown said he intended to consult the party on climate policy. (Chris Young / The Canadian Press)
At the start of his campaign, Brown told supporters that the Conservatives were interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and that the Conservative Party should be part of the solution to climate change. But Brown also said he had learned “from experience” that it was not “the right approach” to impose a climate plan without consulting party members or members of parliament. He has pledged to hold party-level environmental consultations if he wins the leadership.

Lewis opposes taxation

Leslyn Lewis joins Poilievre in arguing that the federal carbon tax should be abolished. Lewis, who holds a doctorate in international law, has a master’s degree in environmental studies and has written about the benefits of clean energy in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2020, he wrote on Twitter that carbon pricing is “a fake term that makes us feel like we’re doing something out of the environment.” He argued that the carbon tax is a property tax that does not change behavior. Carbon pricing is a false term that makes us feel like we are doing something for the environment. Carbon tax is a property tax that does not change behavior. Remember, I have a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies, so your terminology does not work with me. I am interested in the real solutions. – @ LeslynLewis
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer told the CBC that behavioral changes will take place over time as the carbon tax rate rises steadily because “people will see that there is a huge profit from finding ways to provide energy where they can do so without burdening the tax”. Lewis’s campaign said more details about its environmental platform would be revealed later in the leadership race. The Conservatives will elect their next leader on September 10. Other elected officials have also announced they are vying for the top job, including MPs Scott Aitchison and Marc Dalton and Ontario Independent MP Roman Baber.