One of Barrie's Tory MPs says he's feeling "profound disappointment" after the Liberals voted against a Conservative motion in the House of Commons today to exempt all home heating bills from a federal carbon tax.
"This vote is deeply concerning because it was not a mere political disagreement between parties," Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard said in a statement Monday afternoon. "It was a decision that directly impacts Canadian families, our youth and our seniors who will bear the brunt of increased costs to heat their homes during the upcoming winter months."
He says it also would have made life more affordable for Canadians.
Brassard says the vote shows the federal Liberals are "out of touch with the very real struggles" Canadians are facing.
"I have personally heard numerous heartbreaking stories from residents of Barrie-Innisfil who will be adversely affected by this decision," Brassard said. "They will be forced to shoulder the burden of the punishing carbon tax on their home heating bills, adding to their financial difficulties."
In an interview on the weekend with BarrieToday, Brassard argued that “heating your home is not a luxury in this country."
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government would pause for three years the carbon price on home heating oil in Atlantic Canada to make it easier for users of that fuel to switch to electric heat pumps.
Brassard says the announcement caused a lot of concern.
“We are a confederation, not a country of regions," he said.
Several provincial premiers have also banded together to say Ottawa must ensure carbon pricing measures are fair to all Canadians.
— With files from the Canadian Press
