At a press conference focused on the climate emergency, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault gave a speech filled with warnings about wildfires, displacement, and rising infrastructure costs — but when questioned, his message on the carbon tax became murky.
When asked about the federal carbon rebate landing during the election campaign, Pedneault said:
“It’s not the best time when it happens in the middle of an election campaign… I think that a lot of people will criticize this as being a bit of a Liberal gift right before the polls.”
Although he acknowledged the rebate is technically justified, the framing aligned more with Conservative rhetoric than with the Green Party’s longstanding support for carbon pricing. The carbon tax and rebate system — designed to return more money to households than it collects — has been one of the few climate tools that the Greens have historically praised. But Pedneault’s tone cast doubt on its integrity.
This is not the first time he’s distanced himself from the carbon tax. During the televised Cinq chefs, une élection debate earlier this month, Pedneault went further, saying:
“We’re not defending the carbon tax — we’re defending climate action.”
That line raised eyebrows, as it marked a rhetorical departure from Elizabeth May’s past advocacy and from the Green platform’s explicit endorsement of carbon pricing as a climate solution.
Criticizing Liberal Retreat — While Retreating Himself
Moments after casting doubt on the rebate, Pedneault criticized the Liberals for retreating on the carbon tax under Conservative pressure:
“They fought tooth and nail to defend the carbon tax… but now they’ve backtracked because it was subjected to attacks from the Conservatives. I don’t call that courage.”
It’s a sharp line — but one that rings hollow when he’s making the same retreat in real time.
Struggling to Explain How the Greens Differ
Asked at the same press conference how the Green Party’s climate policy differs from other parties, Pedneault struggled to articulate a clear answer.
He said:
“The others don’t actually have a climate strategy right now.”
But beyond that assertion, he offered little substance. There was no detailed comparison of emissions targets, enforcement mechanisms, or sector-specific transitions. He didn’t explain what the Greens would do differently from the NDP or Bloc — both of which also oppose new fossil fuel expansion and support aggressive transition timelines.
For a party that has spent decades building its identity around environmental leadership, the inability to answer this question with clarity and confidence was a missed opportunity — and a signal that the Greens’ climate messaging may be slipping into slogans instead of substance.
