Pierre Poilievre Takes Aim at Trudeau’s Carbon Tax in New Campaign Video

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre has released a new campaign video taking direct aim at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax. The over three minute video features Poilievre speaking to small business owners in Ontario who discuss the challenges the carbon tax has caused for their operations.

The video opens with a small business owner from Ajax, Ontario explaining how the carbon tax has increased their costs and made it difficult to hire more staff. It then cuts to Pierre Poilievre directly addressing the camera, vowing to scrap the “Trudeau carbon tax” if elected Conservative leader and Prime Minister. “This tax grabs money out of your wallet and puts it into Justin Trudeau’s wallet instead of yours,” says Poilievre in the video.

Throughout the video, Pierre Poilievre is seen speaking with voters at campaign stops, emphasizing the financial burden the carbon tax has created. One business owner from Chatham-Kent estimates the carbon tax will cost his company over $100,000 annually. Poilievre notes this additional cost gets passed down to consumers in the form of higher prices. “It’s a tax on everything—gas, groceries, home heating. It hits everyone right in their pocketbook,” he states in the video.

Poilievre Promises Carbon Tax Repeal

In the video, Pierre Poilievre promises that as Prime Minister, he would use all legal means necessary to repeal the federal carbon tax. While he does not provide specifics on his climate plan, Poilievre argues Canada’s emissions have actually gone up under Trudeau’s watch. He pledges to implement a plan that respects taxpayers and consumers. The video ends by urging Canadians to support Poilievre’s campaign to “scrap the carbon tax for good.”

Pierre Poilievre has made opposing the carbon tax a central theme of his leadership bid since entering the race in February. This new video is the latest effort by his campaign to draw a sharp contrast between his stance and that of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau ahead of the Conservative leadership vote on September 10th. It remains to be seen if Poilievre’s fiery anti-carbon tax rhetoric will be enough to propel him to victory.