Scheer champions energy workers, vows to never support carbon tax

OTTAWA — Andrew Scheer is doubling down on his insistence that the federal Conservative party will never support a carbon tax.

The Conservative leader is proposing an amendment to the Liberals' throne speech that would commit the government to scrapping the carbon tax.

The amendment is unlikely to pass since all the other parties in the House of Commons support the tax and advocate bolder action to tackle climate change.

But Scheer, who is fighting to retain his post as leader amid heavy criticism from some within his own party over his handling of the recent election campaign, appears to be comfortable isolating his party in Parliament.

He dismisses those who blame the election result on Scheer's failure to offer a credible climate change plan, as "a chorus of voices from elite corners of Canadian high society" who want the Conservatives to endorse the idea of a carbon tax.

He says Conservatives will always oppose a carbon tax because of the real costs it imposes on Canadians.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2019.

The Canadian Press