Former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has announced she is “seriously thinking about” running for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Speaking to CBC Radio’s The House, Clark said she would make significant changes to key Liberal policies, including scrapping the federal carbon tax, a cornerstone of Trudeau’s environmental strategy. Clark criticized the current federal carbon tax, calling it ineffective and burdensome on Canadians.
“I don’t think we should keep the carbon tax that the federal government has. The Trudeau carbon tax isn’t working,” Clark said, emphasizing that the system in British Columbia under her leadership was fundamentally different.
As B.C. premier, Clark upheld the carbon tax introduced by her predecessor but froze its rate at $30 per tonne in 2012, citing economic concerns. In contrast, the federal carbon tax is currently $80 per tonne and is set to rise to $95 in April 2025.
“A carbon tax isn’t the only answer to fighting climate change,” she explained. “We need to explore a range of tools that don’t hold people back or hurt the economy.”
Clark addressed recent claims about her connections to the Conservative Party, following accusations from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who referred to her as the “carbon tax queen.”
Clark denied ever being a member of the federal Conservative Party, despite publicly endorsing Jean Charest during the 2022 Conservative leadership race.
“I never got a membership and I never got a ballot,” Clark stated, clarifying her stance. “I supported Jean Charest because I believed it was important to stop Pierre Poilievre.”
However, the Conservative Party has pushed back on Clark’s claims, providing records that indicate she held a membership from June 2022 to June 2023.
“Christy Clark purchased a Conservative Party membership through Jean Charest’s leadership campaign,” said Sarah Fischer, the party’s director of communications.
Clark disputed these records, challenging the party to produce further proof. “Why don’t they come out and show my membership or my ballot? I wouldn’t put it past them to manufacture one,” she said.
The Liberal Party has announced that it will select its new leader on March 9, 2025. Clark expressed disappointment in the short timeline for the leadership race but has not formally launched her campaign.
As the race begins, Clark’s potential candidacy could bring a controversial dynamic to the Liberal leadership race, with her policy positions and past affiliations drawing significant attention from both critics and supporters.