Breaking Down the Canadian Conservative Party’s 2025 Platform

Breaking Down the Conservative Party’s 2025 Platform: Energy, Economy, and 'Axe the Tax’

Yesterday, 22 April 2025, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party released its 2025 platform, Canada First—For a Change, less than one week before the federal election.

Since the elimination of the federal fuel charge by Prime Minister Mark Carney, there has been strong opposition between the Liberal and Conservative parties on key climate priorities such as industrial carbon pricing and the oil and gas sector GHG emissions cap. At the same time, there has been some consensus on expanding incentives such as Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for clean technology manufacturing. In the absence of a formal platform, uncertainties remained around what a Conservative government’s approach to climate and the environment would look like, especially regarding the longevity of policies that have largely been absent from public discourse, such as the Clean Fuels Regulations (CFR).

Through Canada First - For a Change, the Conservatives emphasize economic sovereignty, energy independence, and consumer affordability. The platform maintains a strong anti-tax, pro-resource development stance, rejecting what the Conservatives refer to as “ideological” environmentalism.

Key takeaways:

Climate Policy and Emission Reduction

• Axe the entire carbon tax, including industrial pricing, by repealing the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA)
• Scrap regulations they view as costly or ideological, including the oil and gas GHG emissions cap, Clean Fuels Regulation (CFR) and Clean Electricity Regulation (CER).
• Emphasize clean resource exports (especially LNG) as a global emissions reduction strategy.
• Promote practical conservation and pollution reduction (e.g., ending raw sewage dumping), not taxation.

Energy and Natural Resources 

• Plan to double oil production, fast-track LNG, repeal laws they claim block energy projects (e.g., Bills C-69 & C-48).
• Create a National Energy Corridor for pipelines and infrastructure.
• Focus on energy sovereignty—reduce dependence on U.S. markets and resist U.S. tariffs.
• Open up Arctic ports and boost Ring of Fire development.

Industrial Strategy and Tax Incentives 

• Reform ITCs to support domestic manufacturing and clean production—but without mandatory emissions caps.
• Cut red tape, enable rapid approvals (“One and Done”), and allow First Nations to keep revenues locally.
• Oppose federal overreach into industrial or provincial jurisdiction (e.g., electricity taxes).

Transportation and Automotive

• Maintain clean auto-sector incentives but oppose the proposed $20,000 tax on gas cars.
• Scrap EV rebates for foreign-made (especially Chinese) vehicles.
• Cut GST on Canadian-made vehicles if American tariffs persist.

Indigenous Partnership

• Propose a First Nations Resource Charge for local control of revenues.
• Create an Indigenous Opportunities Corporation to facilitate equity in major projects.

International Positioning 

• Assert economic nationalism—Canada must no longer be dependent on or controlled by the U.S.
• Prioritize domestic industry, scrap foreign clean fuel imports, and end subsidies for foreign EVs.
• Use Paris Agreement’s Article 6 to export Canadian resources such as LNG to address global emissions 

With clarity on the future of certain climate policies introduced through the Conservative platform, ClearBlue has adjusted its carbon policy risk analysis: 

However, it is important to note that the Conservative Party would require a majority government to repeal these policies.

The Conservative platform was released after a record number of Canadians voted during advance polls over the long weekend. According to Elections Canada, 7.3 million ballots were cast, marking a 25% increase from the 5.8 million votes in advance polls during the 2021 federal election.  

Additionally, over the weekend, the Liberals released their formal platform, Canada Strong, which emphasized clean growth, global leadership, and sustainability.  The Liberals focus on market certainty, innovation, and public-private partnerships to drive a clean industrial transition. The 2025 platform included the same commitments towards climate action that were included in Carney’s climate plan, which was published before him being selected as the leader of the Liberal Party.  This includes repealing the consumer carbon tax but retaining and strengthening industrial carbon pricing, developing a carbon border adjustment, and expanding carbon contracts for difference and ITCs.  

Notably, this week, households in jurisdictions where the federal fuel charge was enforced will be receiving their final ‘Canada Carbon Rebate’ payments that were funded from the collected fuel charge fees. 

The latest CBC polling as of 22 April suggests that the margin between the Liberals and Conservatives has narrowed, but the Liberals are still maintaining the lead with 43.1% compared to the Conservatives with 38.4%. If the elections were held today, polling suggests a Liberal majority.

ClearBlue will continue to monitor the developments around the federal election with less than one week to go and provide updates and insights to clients.