Carbon pricing mention in updated Ukraine trade deal sparks political spat – National | 24CA News
After Tories voted in opposition to a invoice that implements a Canada- Ukraine free commerce settlement this week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre stated on Thursday that his MPs are rejecting a invoice that promotes carbon pricing — not voting in opposition to the thought of an settlement between the 2 international locations.
“There’s no reason to promote a carbon tax for Ukrainians or for Canadians. The carbon tax is crippling our people,” Poilievre advised reporters in Toronto.
The Conservative place has Liberals arguing that the official Opposition is following segments of the U.S. Republican social gathering in chipping away at help for Kyiv in opposition to Russia’s invasion.
That has led to heated exchanges within the House of Commons because it debates laws implementing a negotiated replace to the prevailing commerce deal.
The proposed textual content primarily focuses on sustaining market entry underneath an settlement that former prime minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative authorities had initially negotiated. It additionally contains new funding provisions that Ukraine says may assist with an eventual rebuild of the war-torn nation.
The textual content being debated additionally provides a brand new environmental chapter during which each international locations comply with “promote carbon pricing.”
Ukraine has had a value on carbon in place for years, and its ambassador is urging Canada to cross the laws.
Senior Canadian officers have testified that the language round carbon pricing is supposed to make clear that such insurance policies gained’t hamper bilateral commerce.
“There aren’t binding provisions on carbon taxes or climate change,” Canada’s chief commerce negotiator Bruce Christie testified on the House commerce committee earlier this month.
“What we’ve included in this trade agreement is an ability for the parties to discuss — to ensure that any trade initiatives don’t hinder parties’ abilities to promote climate-change initiatives, and that would include the imposition of a carbon tax.”
Conservatives unanimously voted in opposition to sending the invoice to committee on Tuesday, regardless of all different events approving it.
“We brought in the free trade agreement. We voted against Justin Trudeau forcing a carbon tax into that pre-existing agreement,” Poilievre stated, arguing that carbon pricing has been “devastating” for the Canadian economic system.
Poilievre advised reporters in Toronto {that a} carbon tax in Ukraine would impede its financial restoration, despite the fact that the nation has already had such a tax in place since 2011.
“This is cruel and frankly, it is disgusting, that Trudeau’s ideological obsession with taxing working-class people, seniors and suffering families has come ahead of what should have been a free trade agreement,” he stated.
Trade Minister Mary Ng stated on Thursday that she has no regrets in regards to the truth the renewed settlement contains carbon pricing, saying the deal matches the expectations of recent commerce agreements and higher displays the wants of Canadian business.
“The agreement that we had before cover goods, by and large. But now you have you have coverage for services, for investments,” Ng stated in an interview.
“We should applaud the Ukrainians for being able to negotiate an agreement and also fight climate change, and also look at their economic security,” she added exterior the House of Commons.
Liberal House chief Karina Gould argued that the Tories are abandoning Ukraine and never taking local weather change significantly.
“With Tuesday’s vote, when the Conservative Party of Canada voted against the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement on a red herring — there’s something deeper going on,” she advised reporters on Parliament Hill.
“We’ve seen in right-wing political circles in the United States a hard turn against Ukraine, towards supporting Russia,” Gould stated, accusing the Tories of ushering in “American-style, right-wing politics.”
At least a dozen Liberal MPs echoed that view within the Commons, inflicting eruptions from the Conservatives that had the Speaker calling for order.
“The Opposition let domestic, petty politics interfere with issues that should have been issues on which we were unified, as Canada always has been. It’s appalling,” stated Toronto Liberal MP James Maloney.
“Want to see Conservative MPs squirm in their seats? Watch them when their leader tries to explain why.”
Conservative House chief Andrew Scheer decried such feedback as “phony outrage” meant to distract from unflattering financial news.
“What is disgraceful and cruel is using Ukraine’s vulnerability, while Russian tanks are on its soil, to shove a carbon tax permanently down their throat.”
NDP international affairs critic Heather McPherson argued the Conservatives have flip-flopped on their help of Ukraine.
“The Conservatives have a lot of explaining to do. Ukraine’s president asked for Canada to support this deal,” she wrote, alluding to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s September go to to Ottawa. “This isn’t time for petty politics.”
© 2023 The Canadian Press
