OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – Canadian Health Minister Mark Holland claims that recent comments he made in the House of Commons about car road trips that were blasted by the Conservative Party as “wacko” were taken out of context.
Last Thursday, Holland chose to mock Conservative Party MPs who have been calling for a summer pause in the carbon and federal fuel tax that amounts to 35 cents per litre.
Conservative MP Rachael Thomas had observed that many Canadians “just simply look forward to a small summer vacation, a road trip. Perhaps it’s normally a time when they can go and camp in the mountains or go to a national park or visit loved ones.”
In reply, Holland went on a nonsensical unhinged rant, saying “Good news, kids! You can take a summer of fun time vacation where you’re locked in a car for 10 consecutive days nonstop with no bathroom breaks, and the conservatives have a plan for you to have that summertime fun.”
“And the cost? Give up the future of the planet. Don’t worry about climate change! Don’t worry about taking action on the planet! Enjoy your 10 hours in the car and let the planet burn.”
As a result of Holland’s rant, one Conservative MP shouted in the House, “Get a life jacket on! The Titanic is sinking!” he said in reference to the Liberal Party under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and its tanking in the polls.
Thomas, unfazed by Holland’s words, called out the Liberals and Trudeau for being “out of touch” with the reality that costs have shot up for Canadian families in the past eight years.
“While this out-of-touch Prime Minister might be able to take a $230,000 taxpayer-funded vacation to some fancy islands, that’s not an option for most Canadians,” she said.
“Most Canadians just simply want to be able to get in a car and drive a few kilometres to enjoy a national park or the mountains for the day. But that’s even out of reach for so many of them.”
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said about Holland’s outburst, “This. Man. Is. Wacko.”
As for Thomas, she noted that a cut in the fuel/carbon tax for the summer would “make life affordable for Canadians and allow them to enjoy their summer.”
“Will the Prime Minister vote with us so Canadians can afford a simple road trip, or will he force them to stay home while he enjoys his luxury vacation?” she asked.
On Monday, Holland claimed, while speaking to reporters, that his rant on Thursday was taken out of context.
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Trudeau’s carbon tax is costing Canadians hundreds of dollars annually, as government rebates are not enough to compensate for high fuel costs.
The Conservatives noted that despite warnings not to do so Trudeau added $61 billion in extra spending to his 2024 budget.
The Conservative Party took note of the carbon tax, which went up 23 percent in April, pointing out that Canadians “desperately need relief, but Justin Trudeau is no longer listening.”
Under Trudeau, due to excessive COVID money printing, inflation has skyrocketed.
A report from September 5, 2023, by Statistics Canada shows food prices are rising faster than headline inflation at a rate of between 10 percent and 18 percent per year.