Canada Minute: Carbon Tax, Economic Force, and the Liberal Leadership Race

Saskatchewan Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatchewan politics.

This Week In Canada:

• Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he remains focused on ending the carbon tax in the upcoming federal election, despite potential tariffs from the incoming Trump administration. He described the carbon price as a self-imposed tariff on Canadians. Following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement to step down, Poilievre called for a national election. He added that, regardless of who succeeds Trudeau as Liberal leader, the election will still be about opposing Trudeau's policies, as he believes any new Liberal leader will be just like Trudeau.
  
  
• Christy Clark, the former Premier of British Columbia, is considering a run for the federal Liberal leadership while denying claims of past Conservative Party membership. Clark previously endorsed Jean Charest in the 2022 Conservative leadership race, stating she aimed to prevent Pierre Poilievre from winning, but insists she never officially joined the party. Conservative records suggest otherwise, showing her membership during that period, though Clark disputes the evidence. If elected leader, she pledges to scrap the federal carbon tax, arguing it is ineffective and burdensome to Canadians. Clark has acknowledged past support for a carbon tax in BC but claims the provincial approach differs from the federal policy.
  
  
• Mark Carney, former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, is also expected to announce his bid for the Liberal leadership next week, with over 30 MPs apparently supporting his campaign. Carney, considered a front-runner in the race, has gained significant backing after Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc ruled out throwing his name in.

Last Week In Canada:

• The Liberal Party announced the rules for its leadership contest. Party members will elect a new leader on March 9th, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement that he will step down. Voting eligibility will be limited to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with voters needing to support the party’s goals and meet other criteria, such as being at least 14 years old and not being part of another political party. Candidates must enter by January 23rd, with a $350,000 fee required to run. Ontario MP Chandra Arya and former Montreal MP Frank Baylis have declared their candidacies, while several cabinet ministers, including Jonathan Wilkinson and François-Philippe Champagne, are also considering joining the race.
  
  
• Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has announced she will not run for the Liberal Party leadership, citing her commitment to addressing pressing international challenges. Joly emphasized the need to focus on defending Canada’s interests amid economic threats from US President-elect Donald Trump, including a proposed 25% tariff on Canadian goods. While acknowledging widespread encouragement to pursue leadership, she stated her priority is her current ministerial duties. Joly is the third cabinet minister this week to decline entering the race, following Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Anita Anand.
  
  
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected US president-elect Donald Trump's suggestion of using "economic force" to merge Canada with the United States, asserting that there is "not a snowball's chance in hell" that Canada would join the US. Trump had previously expressed frustrations with Canada’s trade policies, especially concerning sectors like dairy, and threatened to impose significant tariffs. However, he acknowledged that he had no "right" to absorb Canada. Other political leaders, including Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, also strongly opposed the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state.