Liberal MP and Health Minister Mark Holland mocked Conservatives for fighting for families who can’t afford to take their kids on road trips, saying those trips cost “the future of the planet.”
Holland went on a rant during question period in the House of Commons Thursday after a Conservative MP asked the Liberals if they would vote to allow Canadians to save 35 cents per litre of gas by putting a freeze on the carbon tax for the summer.
“Many Canadians just simply look forward to a small summer vacation, a road trip. Perhaps it’s normally a time when they can go and camp in the mountains or go to a national park or visit loved ones,” Rachael Thomas, the Conservative heritage critic, said.
“But this year, many Canadians can’t afford this simple delight because this government has made life too expensive.”
Holland then embarked on a theatrical performance that garnered the laughs of his fellow Liberal MPs. He sarcastically mocked what he viewed as the Conservatives’ approach to climate action.
“Good news, kids! You can take a summer of fun time vacation where you’re locked in a car for ten consecutive days nonstop with no bathroom breaks, and the conservatives have a plan for you to have that summertime fun,” he said. “And the cost? Give up the future of the planet. Don’t worry about climate change! Don’t worry about taking action on the planet!
Enjoy your ten hours in the car and let the planet burn.”
As the House of Commons was disrupted by the typical combination of shouts and laughter that has become a staple to the Canadian political experience, one Conservative MP called out to the Liberals.
“Get a life jacket on! The Titanic is sinking!” he said, referring to the Liberal party.
Thomas noted that the Prime Minister takes jet-fueled trips to tropical islands, yet the Liberals relate a family taking a “ten-hour road trip” to letting the “planet burn.”
“While this out-of-touch Prime Minister might be able to take a $230,000 taxpayer-funded vacation to some fancy islands, that’s not an option for most Canadians,” Thomas said. “Most Canadians just simply want to be able to get in a car and drive a few kilometres to enjoy a national park or the mountains for the day. But that’s even out of reach for so many of them.”
She blamed the Liberal government’s “out-of-touch” policies for driving up the cost of everything, making such trips unaffordable. She again asked the Liberals if they would support a motion to take the federal tax off of fuel.
“It would make life affordable for Canadians and allow them to enjoy their summer,” Thomas said.”Will the Prime Minister vote with us so Canadians can afford a simple road trip, or will he force them to stay home while he enjoys his luxury vacation?”
Steven Mackinnon, the leader of the government in the House of Commons, responded by criticizing the Conservatives’ ability to do the math, saying that most residents in Thomas’ province of Alberta benefit from carbon pricing.
“I do note that (Thomas) fights against a regime that sends eight out of 10 Albertans more money than they pay,” Mackinnon said. “But she was a little sheepish, a little quiet. When her own premier, Danielle Smith, hiked gas taxes by 13 cents to fuel. It increased government spending in Alberta. She didn’t talk about that. I wonder why?”
According to the government’s independent Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report, the carbon tax costs the average Albertan up to $900 more than they get back in rebates yearly after the Liberal’s April 1 carbon tax hike came into effect.