Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre condemned Trudeau’s former environment minister Catherine McKenna for comparing Conservatives who oppose carbon taxes to “arsonists.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, McKenna called conservative voters “arsonists.” She claimed they want to make it free to pollute while “Canadians pay with their lives” from devastating wildfires.
McKenna served on Trudeau’s Cabinet from 2015 to 2021 as minister of environment and climate change and then of infrastructure and communities.
“Conservative politicians want to fight about a price on carbon pollution? Do you want to make it free to pollute while Canadians pay with their lives threatened, homes destroyed, and communities obliterated? So what are you going to do? You are the arsonists,” she wrote.
Several devastating wildfires across B.C. and the Northwest Territories have forced over 50,000 Canadians to flee their homes under duress from local evacuation orders. The RCMP is investigating the possibility of arson as the cause, though nothing has been proven.
Poilievre says “let’s get back to some common sense” after fmr. Liberal environment minister Catherine McKenna called Conservatives “arsonists” for opposing carbon taxes.
“As if we paid higher taxes we’d have less forest fires? Come on,” he says. pic.twitter.com/PkWMiLcVF0
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 21, 2023
A reporter asked Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre for his reaction to McKenna’s comments in Ottawa on Monday afternoon.
“What’s your response to her comment, and what do you say to […] people that say not having a carbon tax will lead to a climate catastrophe?” asked the reporter.
“What I worry about is the increased radicalization of rhetoric by Liberals, particularly Justin Trudeau,” responded Poilievre, denouncing “the nastiness and meanness they’re directing at people who disagree with their policies.”
“If we paid higher taxes, we’d have less for forest fires? Come on. Let’s get back to some common sense in this country and start to bring people together instead of tearing the country apart.”
The Conservatives under Poilievre have repeatedly stated their opposition to a carbon tax. Poilievre has been touring Canada, giving a series of “Axe the Carbon Tax” speeches in recent weeks.
Pierre Poilievre responds to a CBC reporter, saying that in addition to scrapping the carbon tax, he’ll “green light green projects,” and fires a shot at Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland who suggested Canadians ride more bikes to reduce energy costs. pic.twitter.com/LSGbxUlp6g
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 16, 2023
https://www.rebelnews.com/poilievre_condemns_climate_barbie_for_comparing_conservatives_to_arsonists_over_opposition_to_carbon_tax