Either carbon tax goes or Trudeau is gone. ‘I’ll guarantee you’ Premier Ford says

Premier Doug Ford continued his cantankerous attacks on the federal carbon tax Tuesday, predicting that it would lead to the political demise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Ford fumed that if Trudeau didn’t pause the carbon tax increase that went into effect on Monday, and ultimately can the tax altogether, Trudeau would face the wrath of voters when they next head to the polls.

“This carbon tax has to go or in a year and a half, the Prime Minister’s going; it’s as simple as that,” Ford said during a conference in East Gwillimbury.

“He will be going.

“I’ll guarantee you he will not be there if he doesn’t start looking after the people and the businesses of Ontario.”

Ford was joined by Minister of Agriculture Lisa Thompson, Minister of Small Business Nina Tangri, and high-ranking members of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

They all took turns berating Trudeau and outlining how the carbon tax is making life more unaffordable for businesses and consumers.

“It’s done nothing but raise the cost of everything, and that includes the production of food,” Thompson said.

“I’m incensed,” she added. “Over the weekend I could not believe that the Prime Minister, and media for that matter, were absolutely questioning our position when we say that carbon tax needs to be paused.”

Tangri called Monday’s carbon tax hike “shameful” and said the effects would be felt far beyond the gas pumps with all manner of businesses detrimentally affected.

“They are in a constant challenge to not only thrive but survive,” she stressed.

“Give back the money owed to our small businesses” she demanded.

Premier Ford didn’t just focus his anger on Trudeau, he also continued his unabashed bashing of Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, who he has coined the “queen of the carbon tax.”

“For weeks as the carbon tax hike loomed Bonnie Crombie has refused to stand against it,” Ford said of his political rival.

“She’s dodged questions and desperately tried to change the subject all while refusing to stand up for taxpayers.”

PM Trudeau defended the increase on Monday, noting that as the tax goes up, so does the rebate.

“The price on pollution is increasing, along with the Canada carbon rebate,” Trudeau said.

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But Dan Kelly, the general manager of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said Tuesday that Trudeau has broken his promises to provide rebates to small- and medium-sized businesses and to make the carbon tax revenue neutral.

“The reason the carbon tax has never, not for one single year, been revenue neutral is because the federal government has not rebated the money back to small- and medium-sized businesses as they committed to do in 2019,” Kelly said.

“So the past five years … we (businesses) have been paying the carbon tax too … and the federal government has not rebated any of the money back as promised.”

Monday’s carbon tax hike saw the price of gas in the GTA soar to its highest levels in half-a-year.