The Liberals’ push to exempt heating oil from the federal carbon tax temporarily has fuelled another round of criticism from Conservatives to axe the tax altogether.
Opposition House Leader Andrew Scheer visited Sudbury on Nov. 2 to help spread this message, at which he described Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s heating oil exemption as “desperate, panicky and gimmicky.”
“That is a terrible way to govern a country that leads to division and pits groups of Canadians against each other,” he told gathered media outside of Sudbury Liberal MP Viviane Lapointe’s office in downtown Sudbury.
Rather than just focus on heating oil, Scheer said the Conservatives are urging the Liberals to exempt all forms of heating fuel, including propane and natural gas.
Heating oil is primarily used in Atlantic Canada.
A motion tabled by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that morning read: “That, given the government has announced a ‘temporary, three-year pause’ to the federal carbon tax on home heating oil, the House calls on the government to extend that pause to all forms of home heating.”
A similar such motion was tabled at this time last year, and was defeated in a vote of 202-116.
Sudbury.com asked Scheer why he was in Sudbury, and he explained that he is one of many Conservatives across the country advocating for the Conservative motion.
Nickel Belt Conservative party candidate of record Charles Humphrey was at Scheer’s downtown Sudbury media event, and expanded on the local relevance of the issue in conversation with Sudbury.com.
In Atlantic Canada, socioeconomic concerns paired with the high cost of heating oil and living in general to justify the temporary heating oil carbon tax exemption, he explained.
“If Atlantic Canada’s getting a break based on the economics of that region, Northern Ontario should, too,” he said, adding that it feels as though Northern Ontario has been lumped with the Greater Toronto Area when it comes to carbon tax policies.
Northern Ontarians have longer distances to travel, landscape and climate less conducive to electric vehicles and there are more older homes with poor insulation.
Past Sudbury Conservative candidate Fred Slade told Sudbury.com that cutting the tax is “common sense,” adding, “It’s just costing us more money.”
The pause on carbon tax being levied on heating oil was promoted by the Liberal Party of Canada as a means of easing people toward using heat pumps. It is to be accompanied by an enhanced Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program, which will be boosted from a $10,000 to $15,000 grant to help homeowners install a heat pump, making the average heat-pump free for lower-income households.
“On average, homeowners who switch from oil to cold-climate heat pumps to heat and cool their homes save up to $2,500 per year on home energy bills,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Open to all Canadians, the federal government also has Canada Green Homes Grants available for various retrofits, including for heat pumps.
Scheer said the vote on Poilievre’s motion to exclude all forms of home heating from the carbon tax would take place Monday, and urged area residents to ask their MPs to support it.
Sudbury.com reached out to Lapointe’s office, which replied with a written statement on behalf of the Sudbury Liberal MP noting that before coming to Sudbury, Scheer "should do his homework first."
"People living in Sudbury, and across northern Ontario, who heat their homes with oil are receiving the same three-year pause on the carbon home heating levy as those living in the Atlantic region," she said.
"And if Mr. Scheer can do a stopover in Toronto while he’s touring our province, he should ask his Conservative pal Doug Ford to step up for the people of northern Ontario and give people a rebate on the cost of heat pumps, just like other provinces are doing."
The pause on home heating oil was made because it has risen in cost significantly more than other heat sources, and people who use oil are largely in a lower income bracket.
"They want to switch their heating source but can’t afford it," Lapointe said. "Our government is helping them do just that with the three-year pause and the heat pump rebate."
Lapointe also criticized the Conservatives for striving to "axe the (carbon) tax" altogether, saying they "Don't have a plan to fight climate change."
"Sudbury does not deserve Conservative politicians, especially a failed leadership politician from Saskatchewan, who shows up during a Parliamentary work week, on your tax dollars, to sell Sudbury on Poilievre’s election campaign," she said.
"What Sudbury deserves is an MP who is working hard on their behalf in Ottawa. I’m here today doing that work."
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.