Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre hosts rally in Halifax

‘Axe the Tax’ was the rallying cry at a Halifax rally on Sunday, where Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre drummed up support among the more than one thousand people who packed into a ballroom at a downtown hotel.

"Canadians are good and honest people," said Poilievre to the enthusiastic audience. "And they don't have to live this way."

Poilievre, wearing an 'Axe the Tax' T-shirt was in the Maritimes this weekend, launching a new ad campaign called 'Spike the Hike' and 'Axe the Tax' which targets Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government's carbon pricing policy, set to increase the cost of carbon from $60 per tonne to $85 per tonne on April 1st.

"Happy Saint Patrick's Day, Halifax," were Poilievre’s first words on stage. "Who is ready the 'Axe the Tax?'” were his next, which stirred up the crowd with chants of their own and waving signs with the new slogan.

The Conservative leader is building up support on the east coast after another campaign-style rally in New Brunswick on Saturday.

Political pressure is mounting for Trudeau and the Liberals to halt the carbon price hike that is set to take effect in April.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has long called for the abandoning of the carbon tax and this week his opposition including Nova Scotia Liberal leader Zach Churchill and NDP leader Claudia Chender issued statements echoing the call.

Both Churchill and Chender asked the federal liberals to pause the carbon tax hike, pointing to the issues of affordability and believing there are other ways to meet greenhouse gas emission targets.

Poilievre played it up to the crowd on Saint Patrick's Day and raised an Irish beer and said everything is getting more expensive and Canadians can't afford any tax increases right now.

"With the quadrupling of the carbon tax and the doubling of the housing costs, after eight years of Trudeau, it's enough to drive a man to drink but he's raising the cost on that too," said Poilievre, holding up a dark brown pint of Guinness.

"The beer tax is going up on April first," said Poilievre. "Just another way Justin Trudeau is playing a joke on all Canadians and making any little pleasure that Canadians have left, more and more expensive."

The Conservative leader says he'll look to force a vote in the House of Commons next week, to try and halt the planned carbon tax increase.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.