Following the recent announcement by the federal government concerning adjustments to the carbon tax, an ex-Liberal Party strategist has projected that the carbon tax may not feature in the party’s blueprint for the forthcoming election.
David Herle, previously a chief campaign strategist and pollster of the Liberal Party during Paul Martin’s tenure as Prime Minister, expressed on CTV’s Question Period Sunday Strategy Panel that the carbon tax might become irrelevant by the time of the next election.
Only a few days ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared modifications to the federal carbon tax, including a three-year halt on heating oil supplies in all areas where the federal fuel charge applies.
“This is, I believe, merely the initial phase of numerous culls on the carbon tax,” Herle responded to the updates during his dialogue with CTV’s Vassy Kapelos.
Referring to the carbon tax as a “major policy blunder”, he suggested that there might be a need to gradually dismantle it.
“I surmise that the carbon tax could be out of the picture by the next election,” he reflected upon the likelihood of the tax’s abolishment.
The federal carbon pricing program, which attaches a cost to each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions to diminish them, has been a key component of the government’s scheme for quite some time. The announced alteration on Thursday comes amidst waning popularity in Atlantic Canada.
During a discussion concerning the probable dip in the electoral importance of climate policy-focused Canadians due to the financial crunch, Herle mentioned climate change probably isn’t the foremost issue for the majority of the populace.
“Climate issues aren’t of paramount importance. It’s unlikely to be a critical voting influencer for the majority of Canadians,” Herle stated. “Almost nobody is expected to prioritize it at the polling booth.”
During the 2021 federal election not too long ago, climate change was a standout issue for many voters. A 2021 Nanos Research survey, commissioned by CTV News, detected that environmental concerns were second only to the economy in influencing Canadian voting decisions.
The carbon tax has been a contentious issue. A Nanos Research survey conducted in the spring of last year for CTV News revealed that a little over fifty percent of the participants were sceptical about the carbon tax’s effectiveness in battling climate change.
Kathleen Monk, ex-director of communications to Jack Layton and former NDP strategist, opined during Sunday’s panel that she would be “rather shocked” if the carbon tax were to be entirely erased.
Kory Teneycke, who was Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former director of communications and former campaign manager for Ontario Premier Doug Ford, censured the distancing from the carbon tax. He insinuated that it may anger voters seeking a higher reduction in the carbon tax, as well as supporters who view it as a crucial climate policy instrument.
“They were losing support from one side of their electoral coalition,” he commented, “now, they may potentially face backlash from both sides.”
