Give Canadians a ‘summer break’ on all federal gas taxes: Poilievre

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OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal government to suspend the carbon tax, the federal fuel tax and GST on gasoline and diesel, between Victoria Day and Labour Day to give Canadians a “summer break” on inflation.

Poilievre made the announcement on Thursday at a gas station in Vancouver — where the federal carbon levy does not apply — on the eve of the Victoria Day long weekend.

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“Justin Trudeau may be able to fly off to a luxury resort for a $230,000 taxpayer-funded vacation, but most Canadians are having to scale back or cancel their road trips after Trudeau’s carbon tax made fuel and groceries unaffordable,” he said in a press release.

“Canadians deserve relief, not more taxes. Families should be able to afford a simple road trip,” he added.

The Conservatives estimate that suspending all federal taxes on gas would lower the price at the pumps by 35.6 cents per litre on average across the country, which they say would save a Canadian family approximately $670 over the summer months.

And to compensate for the loss in government revenue, they are calling on the government to cut back on billions in consultant fees such as the ArriveCan application.

Poilievre has been consistently calling on the federal Liberals to axe the carbon tax for affordability purposes, whereas the federal NDP has advocated in the past to cut the GST on home heating with a windfall profits tax on big oil and gas companies.

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Now, Poilievre is calling on the government to suspend all federal taxes temporarily, arguing that Canadians should be able to afford a “simple summer vacation.”

“Conservatives will axe the tax on everything for everyone in a carbon tax election, but until that can happen, Trudeau must adopt this common-sense measure to give Canadians a summer break,” reads the party’s press release.

Some provinces under the federal carbon tax gave breaks on provincial gas taxes that were initially scheduled to expire at the end of June but decided to extend them until at least the end of the summer.

Ontario, which first decided to reduce its gasoline and diesel fuel taxes in July 2022, announced in its last budget that it would be extending it until the end of the year 2024. Manitoba will be extending its gas tax cut until the end of September.

Alberta reinstated its full gas tax in April but reserves the right to reduce or remove it completely if a barrel of oil goes above a certain threshold.

British Columbia has its own carbon pricing system since 2008. B.C. Premier David Eby sparred with Poilievre in recent months when asked to halt the federal increase this past April — calling it a “baloney factory” campaign tactic.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, has been telling voters that Canada’s fiscal track record is enviable compared to its G7 partners and that inflation has not only gone down — it was at 2.9 per cent in March — but is now “under control.”

That is at least what he told seniors in Quebec City on Wednesday, according to a pool report by the Canadian Press, when making the case that Conservatives are against social programs like dental care because it adds inflationary pressures.

“The idea that dental care contributes to inflation is not true,” he said.

More details to follow…

National Post
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