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‘I haven’t said I would be resigning’ over carbon pricing, Guilbeault tells Senate

Nov 23, 2023 | 11:09 AM

OTTAWA — Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says he has not promised to resign if there are any further carve-outs from the carbon price.

Guilbeault made the comment in the Senate on Wednesday, responding to a question from Conservative Sen. Don Plett asking if the minister would resign should a bill exempting some farm fuels from carbon pricing become law.

Earlier this month, Guilbeault had said there would be no further carbon price exemptions as long as he was the environment minister.

But the Senate is on the verge of passing a Conservative private member’s bill that would extend exemptions for at least eight years to propane and natural gas farmers use to heat buildings and dry grain.

Conservatives argue that if the bill passes, Guilbeault should resign, but he says he never promised to do that and he notes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pledged there will be no more carve-outs.

The Tories are also accusing the federal government of a conspiracy with some senators to get the bill killed, which the Liberals and several senators deny.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 24, 2023.

The Canadian Press