Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a rally in St. John’s last night as part of his “Axe the Tax” campaign.

The rally came just one day after the federal government announced changes to the federal carbon tax to help alleviate the financial pressure on those who heat their homes with oil and cannot afford to make the switch to electric.

Ottawa is pausing the implementation of the tax on home heating fuel for three years.

Poilievre says that doesn’t take any of the wind out of his sails, accusing the Prime Minister of “panicking” due to poor polling results.

He calls the decision to pause the tax on home heating fuel a “silly gimmick” and vows he will “axe the tax” completely.

Premier Andrew Furey calls the pause on carbon taxes applied to home heating fuel a good first step, but believes Ottawa needs to go even further to address the real economic impact the carbon tax will have on people in this province.

He says the federal government has to consider the impact the carbon tax has on things like transportation.  He says without options to change, “does this instrument actually work?”