Conservative leader Erin O'Toole holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is pitching a $20-per-tonne carbon price for consumers in his party's $5-billion plan to tackle climate change.
The move represents a major policy shift for the party, which has long campaigned to scrap the carbon price introduced by the Liberals under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The 15-page document, obtained by The Canadian Press, is set to be announced by O'Toole later this morning and outlines how carbon pricing would work under the Conservatives.
It says the price would start at $20 per tonne and rise to no higher than $50 per tonne.
The party, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment, says its system would be more affordable than what's currently in place, and it would work with provinces to create a ``Personal Low Carbon Savings Account.''
The plan says Canadians would pay into their account each time they buy hydrocarbon-based fuel, and then use that money to pay for products to help them live a ``greener life,'' like a bike or bus pass.