From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

Steven Guilbeault made the declaration during a debate about the impact of carbon tax policies on soaring energy bills

Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault proudly proclaimed before the House of Commons on Tuesday that he is a “proud socialist” during a debate over a carbon tax the federal government has imposed on Canadians that has contributed to sky-high energy bills.

“I’m a Liberal and a proud socialist,” Guilbeault said after being asked a question by Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MP Ted Falk concerning the carbon tax.

Guilbeault then blamed former conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper for not “believing” in “climate change” as a reason the current conservatives do not support a carbon tax.

“This reminds me of a certain quote from Prime Minister Harper who talked about the fight against climate change as a socialist plot,” he said.

“Here it is, you have it again, Mr. Speaker. They do not believe that climate change is an issue. They do not believe we should do anything about it.”

Where did he say this? I would love to share the clip.

— Nicholas Grillo🍎🍎 (@nicholas_grillo) November 7, 2023

Falk had said to Guilbeault before his “socialist” response that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has created a “carbon tax” coalition with other socialist and separatist entities in Canada to cause financial pain for Canadians.

“After eight years, we now have the socialists, the separatists, and this prime minister who’s just not worth the cost,” Falk said.

“They’re all part of this costly carbon tax coalition that is leaving Canadians out in the cold.”

Trudeau has many times before blamed Harper for his government’s ills, it should be noted.

Reaction to Guilbeault’s comments came swiftly from many Canadian political pundits and others.

“Steven Guilbeault isn’t just a ‘proud socialist,’ he’s a total nutbar, climate extremist and incompetent minister,” wrote Paul Mitchell, a former People’s Party of Canada candidate and political commentator on X (formerly Twitter).

“Every provincial premier should demand that Guilbeault be sacked. Dealing with him is intolerable.”

Jim Murphy, a retired Toronto police officer, wrote on X, “I’m a bit confused, shouldn’t @s_guilbeaultbe a member of the NDP and not the @liberal_party? Serious question.”

The carbon tax has been a hot topic in the House of Commons, notably after Trudeau announced about two weeks ago he was pausing the collection of the carbon tax on home heating oil for three years but only for Atlantic Canadian provinces. The current cost of the carbon tax on home heating fuel is 17 cents per liter. Most Canadians, however, heat their homes with clean-burning natural gas, which will not be exempted from the carbon tax.

Trudeau’s carbon tax pause for Atlantic Canada announcement came amid dismal polling numbers showing his government is likely to be defeated in a landslide by the Conservative Party in the next election.

As a result, the CPC under leader Pierre Poilievre introduced a motion calling for the carbon tax to be paused for all Canadians. This motion was voted down on Monday by the Liberals with support from the Bloc Quebecois.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) voted in support of the CPC motion, despite the fact they have an informal coalition with the party that began last year, agreeing to support and keep the Liberals in power until the next election is mandated by law in 2025.

As for Guilbeault, he is perhaps Trudeau’s most radical minister in terms of his extreme environmental views. He recently said the Liberal government was going to push ahead with net-zero emission regulations despite the fact Canada’s Supreme Court recently ruled against the federal government’s “no more pipelines” legislation.

Earlier this year, the CPC slammed Trudeau for having Guilbeault accept an invite from China for climate talks.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been a staunch opponent of Trudeau’s net-zero regulations and praised the court decision as returning power to the provinces.

Guilbeault has a history of environmental activism. In 2001, he was arrested after scaling the CN Tower in Toronto as part of a stunt for Greenpeace.

The CPC has previously called out extreme views emanating from the Liberal Party.

In September, Poilievre called Trudeau and his father Pierre Elliot Trudeau “Marxists” when asked by an Ontario resident what could be done to help prevent Canada from going “down” due to Liberal policies.

LifeSiteNews reported last month how Trudeau’s carbon tax is costing Canadians hundreds of dollars annually, as the rebates given out by the federal government are not enough to compensate for the increased fuel costs.

The Trudeau government’s current environmental goals – in lockstep with the United Nations’ “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” – include phasing out coal-fired power plants, reducing fertilizer usage, and curbing natural gas use over the coming decades.

The reduction and eventual elimination of the use of so-called “fossil fuels” and a transition to unreliable “green” energy has also been pushed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) – the globalist group behind the socialist “Great Reset” agenda – an organization in which Trudeau and some of his cabinet are involved.