'Liberals fight for every seat that we get,' Alberta minister says following backlash to Hutchings' carbon policy comments

In the wake of a cabinet minister's controversial claim that people in the Prairies should elect more Liberals if they want to secure carve-outs in federal carbon policy, Employment Minister and Alberta MP Randy Boissonnault insists that 'Liberals fight for every seat that (they) get.'

In the wake of a cabinet minister’s controversial claim that people in the Prairies should elect more Liberals if they want to secure carve-outs in federal carbon policy, Employment Minister and Alberta MP Randy Boissonnault insists that “Liberals fight for every seat that (they) get.”

Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings received significant backlash after she said on CTV’s Question Period last Sunday that “Atlantic Caucus was vocal with what they've heard from their constituents, and perhaps they need to elect more Liberals in the Prairies so that we can have that conversation as well.”

Just days prior, the federal government announced changes to its marquee climate policy, the carbon price, namely by granting a three-year pause on the federal fuel charge on home heating oil.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced the federal government would be doubling the carbon rebate for rural households and expanding incentives for some Canadians to move to a heat pump.

However, the change primarily impacts and benefits Atlantic Canadians, where much larger percentages of households use heating oil.

Hutchings’ comments last week dominated debate in the House of Commons and spurred calls from opposition parties for the federal government to extend the carbon tax break to all forms of home heating.

Trudeau also said this week there would “absolutely not be any other carve-outs or suspensions of the price on pollution.”