Poilievre Wants Liberal Tax Cuts to Go Further, Says Tories Will Table Amendments

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party will propose amendments to the Liberal government’s ways and means motion that eliminates carbon pricing, lowers income taxes, and removes the GST on homes valued under $1 million.

Poilievre told reporters in the House of Commons on May 28 that the Conservatives have been “leading the crusade” for lower taxes, accusing the Liberals of “plagiarizing” aspects of Tory policy proposals in recent months.

“We will offer even better ideas in the future. And as I said a few weeks ago, I’m encouraging the Liberals to steal my ideas, because we have the best ideas,” Poilievre said.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne introduced a motion on May 27 that fulfils several Liberal election campaign promises, including removal of the consumer carbon tax from legislation. Prime Minister Mark Carney set the fuel charge rate to zero on April 1, but the framework will remain in place pending a successful vote in the House of Commons.

Poilievre said his party will be adding an amendment to “get rid of the entire carbon tax for everyone, for real, for good,” including industry. Carney’s proposed system would keep the industrial carbon tax in place.

The Conservative leader said the Liberal plan to remove the GST for first-time home buyers on new homes up to $1 million did not go far enough, and that his party will push for the tax to be taken off more homes. The Tories pledged during the election campaign to remove the GST on homes priced up to $1.3 million.

Poilievre also criticized the Liberal government’s plan to lower income taxes by 1 percentage point for the lowest income tax bracket. He said the cut was “better than nothing,” but barely enough “to buy you a cup of coffee every week at a Starbucks.” Poilievre promised during the election campaign to cut income taxes by 2.25 percentage points.

Poilievre said the Tories will propose amendments to cut “bureaucracy, consultants, corporate welfare, and foreign aid,” adding Canadians face higher inflation if the government fails to curb its deficit spending.

The Conservatives will vote in favour of every tax cut as well as any policies that support Canadians, he said. “The question we always ask is, ‘Is the proposal better than the status quo?’ If it is, then we support it. If it’s not, then we oppose it,” he said.

The Liberals announced their plan to cut income taxes in March, with Carney calling it “a middle-class tax cut that will help all Canadian workers,” saving a two-income family up to $825 a year.

During the election, he said removing the GST on housing was a “big deal” that would help families afford new homes.

He added that the government would fund modular and pre-fabricated housing and help train more construction workers.

‘I’d Love to Be in There’

Poilievre was asked by reporters how it felt not being in the House of Commons after losing his Carleton riding seat to the Liberal candidate in the election.

“I’d love to be in there,” Poilievre replied. “It’s a great place. I love the House of Commons. I love the excitement and the thrill, and I’ve never really been a spectator of the House.”

The Tory leader said being an MP has been a “great privilege” and he is working hard to “earn the opportunity to do it again.”

Poilievre lost his seat in the April 28 election to Liberal newcomer Bruce Fanjoy after representing the riding for more than two decades. Poilievre received 45.8 percent of the vote, while Fanjoy received 50.8 percent.

Alberta Conservative MP Damien Kurek has since offered to give up his Battle River—Crowfoot seat so Poilievre can run in a byelection. Prime Minister Carney, who ultimately determines when byelections are held, has pledged not to delay the process.

The role of the Opposition leader in the House has been assumed by MP Andrew Scheer until Poilievre can return to Parliament. Scheer served as leader from 2017 until 2020 and stepped down in August of that year.