Carney says consumer carbon price terminated ‘immediately’

Carney said the order he signed fulfilled a promise he made while running for the Liberal leadership and will help address affordability concerns for Canadians.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday his Liberal government is “immediately” ending the consumer carbon price, making the change official during his first cabinet meeting.

Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister along with his new cabinet earlier in the day, said the order he signed fulfilled a promise he made while running for the Liberal leadership and will help address affordability concerns for Canadians.

“This is a cabinet that’s focused on action,” he said. “It’s focused on getting more money in the pockets of Canadians, it’s focused on building this economy with all the tools that we have here.”

“We will be eliminating the Canada fuel charge, the consumer fuel charge, immediately. Immediately.”

Carney said Canadians who have received rebates under the federal carbon pricing program will still see a rebate payment in the next quarter before the end of April.

“This will make a difference to hard pressed Canadians but it is part of a much bigger set of measures that this government is taking to ensure that we fight against climate change, that our companies are competitive, and the country moves forward,” he said.

Carney then signed the order paper, which was met with a round of applause by ministers around the cabinet table.

Carney vowed to eliminate the consumer carbon price, often referred to as a “carbon tax,” and bolster the industrial price paid by big polluters instead.