Liberal leadership race: Baylis noncommittal on eliminating consumer carbon tax [Video]

Liberal leadership hopeful Frank Baylis says eliminating the consumer carbon tax alone will not “solve the affordability issue for Canadians.”

“Anybody that’s selling Canadians that there’s not a cost to cleaning our air is not being honest and straightforward with them,” Baylis said in an interview with CTV’s Power Play on Tuesday.

Baylis is the first person to publicly confirm a desire to run for the Liberal leadership after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he is resigning as Liberal leader and prime minister as soon as the party names a replacement.

Asked twice by host Vassy Kapelos whether he would keep the unpopular policy, Baylis did not answer directly, and pointed to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s repeated pledge to “axe the tax.”

“What Mr. Poilievre is doing is calling this thing ‘axe the tax’ as if this is going to solve the affordability issue for Canadians. It’s …