Trudeau on back foot over carbon tax

AFP :
Polluters should pay up, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists. But pressure is mounting to scrap his signature climate policy, a federal levy on CO2 emissions, as ordinary Canadians see the law increase their own cost of living.
The levy, applied to a myriad of fossil fuels used by both industry and consumers, is scheduled to rise from Can$64 to Can$80 (US$48 to US$59) per metric ton of carbon on April 1, in a bid to see Canadians slash their total carbon emissions by 40-45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
But it’s adding to household costs at the same time that people are feeling the bite from inflation.
Seven provinces have asked the government to pause or cancel the increase, which would add about three cents per liter (quarter gallon) to the price of gasoline.
Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey — a liberal from Trudeau’s own party — was the latest this month to join his conservative peers in seeking a reprieve “at least until inflation stabilizes.”