The Trudeau federal government has faced intense backlash in recent weeks over the federal carbon pricing program that came into effect across Atlantic Canada on July 1.

This move, which followed provinces’ failure to implement their own alternative carbon pricing programs, has caused gas prices to rise. Some Atlantic Canadians are wondering whether their climate action incentive payments will offset the additional costs associated with clean fuel regulations.

Atlantic premiers have also spent the past several weeks in a tax campaign against carbon pricing.

In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston called on Trudeau to sit down with premiers to discuss carbon pricing.

The province’s Department of Environment and Climate Change spent $56,000 of taxpayer money on a two-week ad campaign opposing the carbon tax.

But Trudeau announced that the quarterly climate action incentive payments will actually be deposited into the bank accounts of residents in Nova Scotia.

Prince Edward Island included the federal government to fight climate change while returning money to Canadians’ pockets in the process.

There have been many partisan attacks on this issue, but the only thing Premier Houston or Pierre Poilievre or others are talking about is that these cheques support Canadians directly with real dollars landing in their bank accounts this week," Trudeau stated.

He also pointed out that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland offered to meet with the Atlantic premiers following her commitments at the G20 meetings in India.

Trudeau expressed no refusal to discuss the matter with anyone, saying: "I am happy to talk about carbon pricing with anyone who wants to talk about it."

The Prime Minister referred to the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) statement saying that eight out of 10 Canadians will be better off under the carbon pricing program, but the PBO says Nova Scotia residents will pay, on average, more than they receive.

For this reason, Trudeau says, recipients in rural areas receive a 10 percent increase on the climate action incentive cheque.

While the incentive may not benefit everyone, Trudeau believes it is necessary because the country is struggling with more frequent extreme climate events, along with the additional costs associated with supporting people affected by climate change.

"Extreme weather events are a reality. Fighting climate change is a reality. We have to do it in a way that supports families and equips us to be competitive and have a growing economy," Trudeau told Patis.

When asked about the incentive that drives Maritimers to give up fossil fuels, and whether they recover money in the form of discounts, Trudeau replied that the pollution price affects emission sources like companies, factories, and businesses that fail to make fuel-efficient upgrades. Trudeau argued that real incentives come through energy efficiency programs, such as the $10,000 grant Nova Scotians can apply for to replace an oil-burning furnace with a heat pump.

Trudeau stated: "These are incentives that will help people as we try to do more to reduce emissions while maintaining our competitiveness, while the world moves in this direction, we support families while creating those great jobs."

Premiers in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia threaten to sue the federal government unless it agrees to fund the full cost of protecting the Chignecto Isthmus. Holding firm to their view that it is a federal responsibility, they therefore refuse to make a cost-sharing deal.

(Isthmus - a narrow strip of land with sea on both sides, forming a link between two larger land areas)

The two premiers will meet with Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc this week to discuss future funding for the isthmus.

Trudeau also acknowledged that the federal government has responsibilities to protect the isthmus, but says it is a shared responsibility with the provinces and private sector stakeholders.

The federal government has offered to pay half the $200 million project.

Patis said, "The provinces can split the other $200 million," noting they have until Wednesday to apply for federal funding.

"This is unfortunate for the future of people in Nova Scotia if the provinces, including Nova Scotia which currently has a budget surplus, do not protect people's livelihoods when the federal government comes with $200 million to do so."

But Houston believes Nova Scotians should not give up money that would pay for crises in healthcare and housing.

Trudeau said: "Nova Scotia's premier has to decide how he wants to spend tax dollars in Nova Scotia." "But the federal government is ready to be there with $200 million to protect an important piece of infrastructure and I really hope he applies in the next few days."

When it comes to the relationship between the Prime Minister and the Atlantic premiers, Trudeau pointed out, "We work together on big things all the time for the benefit of the people."

He cited recent healthcare agreements, as well as halving childcare fees, as examples of provinces and federal government working effectively together to improve Canadians' lives.

"We just disagree, for example, on the need to fight climate change and return more money to people's pockets."

Police

When asked about the possibility of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police turning into a federal investigative force like the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Trudeau referred to reports such as the inquiry that examined the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, which concluded that a new policing model is needed in Canada with potential progress moving forward.

Trudeau said: "I think one of the things about the exceptional work done by the Mass Casualty Commission was taking a really thoughtful look at lines of accountability and who is responsible and who is accountable for different local police and national police work and all those things." "I think a mature country needs to have these conversations and I think they are happening now."

The Prime Minister says the inquiry is not far off, noting there have been multiple reports in recent years concluding that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police "needs to do better work especially responding to community needs."