OTTAWA: Liberal MP Jonathan Wilkinson, a member of the B.C. Liberal caucus, has expressed satisfaction with his position in the government under Prime Minister Mark Carney, despite significant changes to the federal environmental policy agenda. Wilkinson’s statement came as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused the Liberal MP of opposing the current environmental platform, an allegation Wilkinson flatly denied.
Since the Carney government took office, several key environmental policies initiated under the previous Trudeau administration have been revised or reversed. A major change was the elimination of the unpopular consumer carbon tax. Furthermore, the government has refrained from giving firm guarantees on whether it can meet the nation’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030.
The new federal budget also signaled a potential move away from imposing a hard emissions cap on the oil and gas sector. Wilkinson, while admitting he was “deeply disappointed” by the removal of the carbon tax, added that he remains content that other programs, such as key investment tax credits for clean technology, are still moving forward.
