Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is refusing to say whether the planned increase to the carbon tax next week will still happen even as workers and businesses grapple with the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Reporters who attended the prime minister’s daily briefing on the coronavirus from Rideau Cottage asked him whether that increase will be put on pause or still go ahead. “We know that it is important that we put more money in the pockets of Canadians at this point when they’re stressed,” he said in response. “Our plan on pricing pollution puts more money upfront into people’s pockets than they would pay with the new price on pollution.