Western Standard - April 15, 2024


Jagmeet Singh Avoids Clarity on NDP's Position on Carbon Tax


Episode Stats

Length

3 minutes

Words per Minute

207.05304

Word Count

730

Sentence Count

61

Misogynist Sentences

3

Hate Speech Sentences

2


Summary

In this episode, Singh and Singh respond to a question from Singh's own party on the need for a consumer carbon tax to fight climate change. They also discuss their carbon pricing plan and what they would like to see the government do to make carbon pricing more fair.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Do you support a consumer carbon levy?
00:00:02.800 We absolutely need to fight the climate crisis, no question about it.
00:00:06.700 But what we're concerned about is that Pierre Polyev has absolutely no plan.
00:00:10.880 He thinks it's okay to dump toxic waste into rivers.
00:00:14.600 He wants big polluters to do whatever they want.
00:00:16.700 He wants no rules for big polluters.
00:00:18.480 That is a serious problem. I've heard that from Canadians.
00:00:20.800 I've also heard a serious concern that this Liberal government
00:00:24.100 seems to have no money for working-class people to buy a heat pump.
00:00:28.220 No money for them, but as billions of dollars in subsidies for oil and gas companies,
00:00:33.340 the Liberal plan is unfair.
00:00:34.920 That is my concern, and I continue to raise the concern that people are telling me
00:00:38.820 that they're concerned about.
00:00:39.940 Why is the Liberal plan unfair, and why the Conservatives are so irresponsible
00:00:44.960 to not even have a plan to tackle pollution?
00:00:47.500 Yes or no, do you support a consumer carbon levy? Yes or no?
00:00:51.380 Our position has not changed at all.
00:00:54.100 Our position has not changed.
00:00:55.360 What is your position?
00:00:56.040 Our position, I mean, you've seen our votes.
00:00:57.880 We're right now. What is your position?
00:01:00.500 We absolutely support a price on pollution.
00:01:02.700 We've always supported it.
00:01:03.660 For consumers.
00:01:04.580 We've always supported a price on pollution.
00:01:05.620 I'm just looking to clarify, sir.
00:01:07.120 Do you support a consumer carbon price?
00:01:09.160 I've said that. I've said it again and again, and you've seen our votes on this.
00:01:11.860 We absolutely support a price on pollution.
00:01:14.260 We have not changed our position on that.
00:01:16.000 We have not changed our position on that.
00:01:17.660 But you won't actually confirm what it is.
00:01:19.660 We have not changed our position.
00:01:20.860 I mean, you could look at our voting record.
00:01:22.060 We've been very clear we support a price on pollution.
00:01:25.340 But our concern, our concern, we have absolutely been very clear our position has not changed.
00:01:32.700 And so you can look at our voting record and our position is very clear.
00:01:35.840 But my concern is this, and I want to be very clear on this concern.
00:01:39.300 I want to spend the time that I have talking about my concern.
00:01:41.880 The Liberals say to working class people, we don't have money for you to buy heat pumps.
00:01:48.820 We don't have money to support you.
00:01:50.320 But we've got billions of dollars for oil and gas companies.
00:01:53.580 Workers tell me that is unfair, and that's what we pointed out.
00:01:56.700 So we said that very clearly.
00:01:58.940 And we've said again and again, we need to make sure we fight the climate crisis with everything we have.
00:02:04.780 But the Liberals are eroding that trust by not supporting working class people.
00:02:10.280 They are eroding that trust, but not saying clearly that whose side are we on?
00:02:15.500 The Liberals right now are making it seem like they're on the side of big polluters,
00:02:19.160 and they're not on the side of working class people.
00:02:21.960 How can this government justify billions of dollars in subsidies for oil and gas companies
00:02:27.880 and say no to working class people?
00:02:29.900 That is wrong, and I want to focus on that.
00:02:32.080 Our position on fighting the climate crisis has not changed.
00:02:34.780 We believe absolutely on a price on pollution.
00:02:37.220 But we also believe the plan has to be fair.
00:02:38.960 And right now the Liberals are not making a fair plan.
00:02:41.400 They're saying big polluters get bigger and bigger profits.
00:02:44.540 Working class people get nothing.
00:02:45.900 That is wrong.
00:02:49.120 How would you make the carbon pricing scheme more fair?
00:02:52.220 Well, in terms of what I want to see happen in terms of a plan in general,
00:02:55.960 these are the three values that we...
00:02:58.180 What would you do to make it more fair?
00:03:00.420 If you want to ask my plan, these are my concerns.
00:03:02.220 One is I'm concerned specifically with the fact that the government has billions of dollars for oil and gas companies
00:03:08.300 and says no to working class people.
00:03:09.940 That's important.
00:03:10.840 But specifically...
00:03:12.560 I'm going to answer the question very specifically.
00:03:14.480 I've been asked the question.
00:03:15.220 This is my final answer.
00:03:16.640 On the final piece on what our plan is,
00:03:20.040 we want to see a plan that makes the big polluters pay their fair share,
00:03:23.360 that's fair to workers, and that reduces our emissions.
00:03:26.080 Thank you very much.
00:03:26.560 Mr. Singh, you're not being clear.
00:03:29.820 A consumer carbon levy on gasoline.