Poilievre says Liberals not committed to fully removing consumer carbon tax
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Liberals of hiding the consumer carbon tax — which as of Tuesday is no longer being collected but remains on the books pending new legislation — from voters ahead of an election.
The Latest
For the first time since 2019, there is no federal consumer carbon levy in Canada.Mark Carney scrapped the carbon tax in his first act as prime minister before the election campaign kicked off, after the Conservatives spent years calling for the tax to be eliminated.U.S. President Donald Trump says he’ll announce his global tariffs policy at 4 p.m. ET tomorrow.In Edmonton, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh vowed to protect the public health-care system.At a stop in St. John’s, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he would end the industrial carbon tax and simplify the approval process for energy projects.How do you feel now that the carbon tax is gone? We want to hear from you. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.Updates
April 1
6 minutes ago
‘Biological clock’ comment ticks some people off
Jenna Benchetrit
Yesterday, Poilievre referenced fertility while talking about housing, saying that the Conservatives “will not forget that 36-year-old couple whose biological clock is running out faster than they can afford to buy a home and have kids.”
The comment made the rounds online, with some calling his use of the term “biological clock” outdated. Singh, asked for his thoughts on the incident, said, “I don’t think any woman wants to hear Pierre Poilievre talking about their body, period.”
Other commentators have defended Poilievre’s comments, including Amanda Galbraith, a partner at Oyster Group and frequent contributor to CBC’s Power and Politics.
She wrote on X that the party leader was acknowledging “the truth” that some young women “have had a hard time balancing making a life, a career and having kids. That we wait to have a family until we can ‘afford it.’”
“This is a huge issue. It’s one our government should care about and solve.”
27 minutes ago
Trump warns Republicans to get in line on tariffs
Alexander Panetta
Trump speaks to reporters before signing an executive order on March 31, 2025. (The Associated Press)At risk of being repudiated in Congress, Trump has issued a warning to Republicans: support my Canada tariffs.
The president posted a message on his social media site weighing in on an anticipated Senate vote on his cross-border tariffs.
“Don’t let the Democrats have a Victory,” Trump posted.
“It would be devastating for the Republican Party and, far more importantly, for the United States. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The Senate will vote, likely by tomorrow afternoon, on a resolution to condemn Trump‘s declaration of a national emergency involving fentanyl from Canada.
The vote is mainly symbolic. The resolution is extremely unlikely to pass the House. In addition, it would not have enough votes to override a likely Trump veto and, even then, it only involves a fraction of Trump’s tariffs.
Yet it could still be a political embarrassment — and an unwanted distraction, just as Trump proceeds with his tariff policy this week.
The resolution appears to have the support of a few Republicans and could potentially pass the Senate, a chamber Trump’s party controls.
41 minutes ago
Private sector creep into health care won’t fly, says Singh
Jenna Benchetrit
The NDP is promising to ban U.S. companies from buying health-care facilities in Canada. Speaking in Edmonton today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh framed the promise as both a blow to U.S. President Donald Trump and a move to protect our universal public health-care system.
He added that an NDP government would enforce the Canada Health Act to end privatization, and criticized his opponent Mark Carney in particular, suggesting that cuts to health care are on the table with a Liberal government.
Carney has said he’ll rein in government spending and has said his government would evaluate some programs to see how well they’re working, but hasn’t said which ones.
“I want Canadians to know that we are going to fight with every ounce of our being, with every fibre of our being, to keep our health-care system not just universal and public, but also to strengthen it, to improve it,” said Singh.
Some Canadian private equity firms have bought medical clinics that offer day surgeries, MRI scans and cataract surgeries outside of a hospital setting.
My colleague Kate McKenna says the NDP could enforce the Canada Health Act by withholding transfers to provinces not in alignment with its principles, but called this a “politically difficult move” — because it means withholding cash from provincial health-care institutions.
48 minutes ago
The death of North America’s first carbon tax
Andrew Kurjata
Premier David Eby in Vancouver, B.C, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Hi, I’m a journalist based in Prince George, B.C.
This morning, British Columbia joined the federal government in repealing its carbon tax after a late-night legislative session that ended at 1:30 a.m. PT aimed at fast-tracking the policy.
B.C. was actually the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce widespread carbon pricing through a consumer tax, in 2008. The policy was popular for years, surviving left- and right-leaning governments.
But Premier David Eby says it became “toxic,” in part because of Poilievre’s successful “axe the tax” campaign at the federal level. The messaging was picked up by the Conservative Party of B.C., which nearly unseated the NDP in last year’s provincial election.
Eby says B.C. will now focus on industrial emitters.
1 hour ago
What about gas prices?
Lucas Powers
The change in the average price of gas in cents/litre from March 22 to April 1, 2025. (gaswizard.ca/CBC)With the removal of the carbon tax today, one expert says there will be some cost savings passed on to consumers almost immediately.
Andrew Leach, an energy and environmental economist at the University of Alberta, said the cancelled tax will be felt most immediately at the gas pump.
The price on pollution for gasoline translated to a cost of about 17.6 cents per litre up until today. Leach said it’s likely that amount will come off within a matter of days, and data from gaswizard.ca, shown in the graphic above, appears to bear that out.
“It is a point-of-sale charge … so you should see it come off almost instantly,” Leach told our colleague Abby Hughes.
If gas prices dropped by 17.6 cents a litre as a result of the tax coming off, you’d save about $8.80 when filling a car with a standard 50-litre gas tank.
You can read more about how the end of the carbon tax could impact your pocketbook here.
1 hour ago
Canada won’t ‘disadvantage’ its own workers on tariffs
Jenna Benchetrit
Carney speaks during a campaign stop in Winnipeg. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)Ahead of “tariff-palooza” tomorrow, as my colleague Alex Panetta called it, Carney spoke again about his recent call with Trump. He reiterated the two agreements they made during that call.
The first was that after the election, the U.S. president and the next prime minister will sit down and begin comprehensive negotiations; and the second was that Canada’s cabinet ministers will be in close contact with their U.S. counterparts until then.
Carney said Canada will impose retaliatory measures on the U.S. “if there are additional [tariffs] put in place against Canada tomorrow,” and restated that the government’s plan is to wait and see before showing its hand.
“We will not disadvantage Canadian producers and Canadian workers relative to American workers,” he said.
2 hours ago
Liberals looking for new candidate in Markham-Unionville
Jenna Benchetrit
Carney reacts to Liberal candidate Paul Chiang dropping out of election race
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, speaking from Winnipeg on Day 10 of the election campaign, says he accepted the resignation of now former Liberal candidate Paul Chiang from the race after Chiang said Conservative candidate Joe Tay should be turned in to the Chinese Consulate in exchange for a bounty.
Asked about Liberal candidate Paul Chiang’s decision to step down last night — Chiang was criticized for saying that Conservative candidate Joe Tay be turned in to the Chinese consulate in exchange for a bounty — Carney kept his response brief.
“Mr. Chiang offered his resignation last night. I accepted it. As I said yesterday, his comments were deeply troubling and regrettable. We will move on looking forward with a new candidate for Markham[-Unionville], and I’ll leave it at that.”
2 hours ago
Tariff-palooza time: 4 p.m. ET Wednesday
Alexander Panetta
Tim Kaine wants to pressure Trump, Republicans to reconsider Canadian tariffs
The Democratic senator from Virginia has tabled a bill to challenge the Trump administration’s national security justification for tariffs on Canada. Kaine says several Republicans could be inclined to vote in favour of his bill, potentially forcing a similar vote in the House of Representatives.
After promising worldwide tariffs for two years, since the start of his election campaign, Trump will make it official Wednesday.
The White House has just issued an advisory announcing Trump will reveal his tariff policy at 4 p.m. ET tomorrow.
At an event in the White House Rose Garden, surrounded by members of his administration, the president will announce his plans for tariffs on different countries and industries.
There’s a lot we still don’t know, such as whether the tariffs will hit industries, or entire countries, or the whole world with flat tariff rates.
Trump has repeatedly adjusted the details in his public remarks, and even in recent days there have been inconsistent leaks in U.S. media.
2 hours ago
Carney touts Liberal record on affordability, but doesn’t say anything new
Jenna Benchetrit
During a campaign announcement in Winnipeg this morning, Carney listed Liberal policies aimed at improving affordability — but he didn’t announce anything new.
Instead, he took a victory lap on the end of the consumer carbon tax and doubled down on his commitments to $10/day child care and the national dental care program. He also re-upped promises to remove the GST on new homes under $1 million, spur the development of affordable housing and cut the tax rate for the lowest tax bracket.
2 hours ago
Mexican-Canadian voter worried about ‘the future for our kids’
Meagan Fitzpatrick
Maria Hernandez owns Tacos Tony in Leamington, Ont. (Meagan Fitzpatrick/CBC)Hello from Kingsville and Leamington, two southwestern Ontario towns where I am reporting live today on CBC News Network. These communities are hubs for greenhouse vegetable growers, and I’ll have more to report on that later today.
Leamington has a large Mexican community, in part because of farm workers who came to work here and stayed. We popped into Tacos Tony and met owner Maria Hernandez, who immigrated to Canada more than 30 years ago.
While serving tasty tacos and other authentic Mexican dishes last night to both Mexican and Canadian customers, Maria shared what’s on her mind during this election.
“The future for our kids. We want all the best for them,” said Hernandez, who has four grandchildren. She said a clean environment is also important to her, and was one of the reasons she moved to Leamington from Toronto.
On the trade war with the U.S., Hernandez said Trump is looking out for his country, and Canada has to do the same. She has made up her mind as a voter but kept her choice private.
When I asked two different customers what they want Canada’s leaders to prioritize, they both said affordable housing.
“What happened to the two- or three-bedroom family home for a few hundred thousand dollars, instead of the $800,000 monster homes?” said Hillary Leipold. “Yes, make homes, but make them available to everyone, not just one demographic all the time.”
