ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Ukraine's ambassador hopes Canada's support stays strong amid carbon tax trade bill acrimony

Share

Amid the Conservative party's unanimous rejection of a bill seeking to update the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement over carbon tax wording concerns, Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv says that while she understands there are "differences" in political opinion in this country about climate policies, she hopes support for Ukraine remains steadfast.

"Each country decides, there are many options, and many countries have different policies on how to deal with climate change… What's important for Ukraine, is this free trade agreement," she said in an interview on CTV News Channel's Power Play with Vassy Kapelos.

The issue sparked controversy earlier this week, when Conservative MPs united in voting against advancing the legislation, known as Bill C-57, the modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA). The bill still passed on to the next stage of legislative review, with Liberal, Bloc, NDP, and Green votes, but not without Liberals expressing dismay over Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's decision.

Reporters asked Poilievre for the second day in a row to explain why his caucus voted the way it did. He doubled down, in stating his position that it was about the carbon pricing wording within the bill seeking to implement an updated version of the two-country agreement, and not the trade deal itself.

"We didn't vote against a free trade agreement, we brought in the free trade agreement. We voted against Justin Trudeau forcing a carbon tax into that pre-existing agreement," Poilievre said.

Poilievre said it was "cruel" for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to expect Ukrainians, in their post-war rebuild, to pay a carbon tax.

While the text of the trade deal does include a commitment that both countries would both, bilaterally and internationally "promote carbon pricing and measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks," the legislation does not include provisions to force a pollution pricing plan.

Kovaliv said Ukraine is looking forward to working on further policies to address its carbon footprint, in line with European Union membership requirements.

On Thursday, Liberal MPs continued to decry the Conservatives' decision to oppose the revised deal.

Government House Leader Karina Gould accused Poilievre of importing "American style right-wing politics" to Canada with this vote, pointing to politicians in the U.S. that have taken "a hard turn against Ukraine," voicing calls to stop helping fund the country's war efforts against Russia.

Asked if she was worried about what is transpiring in the U.S. in regard to support for Ukraine, happening in Canada, Kovaliv said "we do hope that it will not happen." 

Watch the full interview on CTV News Channel's Power Play at the top of this article. 

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

A 29-year-old Quebec woman is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a five-year-old boy southwest of Montreal.

The mayor of an Alberta city appeared to suggest that residents should use inhumane tactics to deal with feral cats.

Two people have been arrested, and three others are still at large in connection with a door-to-door sales fraud that police said victimized more than 200 people across Ontario.

Local Spotlight

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.

If you take a look to the right of Hilda Duddridge’s 100th birthday cake, you’ll see a sculpture of a smiling girl extending her arms forward.

Stay Connected