Singh won’t say if NDP climate plan will include a price on carbon

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh won’t say whether he would keep the consumer carbon price if his party forms government after the next election.

Speaking to reporters in Montreal on Thursday, Singh criticized both the Liberals and the Conservatives over their approaches to fighting climate change.

“We want to see an approach to fighting the climate crisis where it doesn’t put the burden on the backs of working people, where big polluters have to pay their fair share,” he said.

“And so we’ve been working on a plan, and we’ll be releasing our plan, our vision for how we can do that in a stronger way, in the coming months.”

Singh’s noncommittal position on the carbon tax comes as the NDP tries frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to end the carbon tax brought in by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, blaming it for adding to the rising cost of living. People in jurisdictions where the federal carbon price is in place receive rebates.

Singh on Thursday accused Poilievre of not wanting to fight climate change at all.

He also blamed the Liberals for pitting workers against each other by exempting home heating oil from the carbon price. That change disproportionately helps people in Atlantic Canada, where home heating oil is popular.

The NDP have previously supported the Liberals’ consumer carbon price.

Economists are widely in favour of carbon pricing, arguing it is the most cost effective way to reduce emissions.

Thursday marked the last day of the NDP caucus retreat ahead of the return of the House of Commons on Sept .16.

New Democrats are gearing up for a return to a minority Parliament after ending the supply-and-confidence