As pump prices soar, Tories call on government to cut fuel taxes
Gas prices expected to hit four-year high in Toronto on Thursday
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OTTAWA — As Canada’s motorists face unprecedented pain at the pumps, the Conservatives want to hit the brakes on federal gas taxes.
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On Thursday, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to temporarily suspend federal taxes on gasoline and diesel as a means to save Canadians — and Canadian industry — some money.
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“While the Iran war explains the sudden rise in world oil prices, it does not explain why Canadians pay so much more than Americans,” Poilievre said in a statement. “Liberal taxes force Canadians to pay 28 cents per litre, or 20% more than in the United States. High Liberal fuel taxes drive up the cost of groceries, which are already rising the fastest in the G7.”
The Tory plan involves suspending the GST, the 10-cents-per-litre fuel excise tax and the seven-cent Clean Fuel Standard, instantly saving Canadians 25 cents per litre.
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The Tories want the taxes to be cut until the end of the year, with calls for the government to end completely the fuel standard tax, as well as the industrial carbon tax.
The Conservatives have a news conference scheduled at 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning to officially make the announcement.
Gas in GTA set to hit record highs
With no idea of when the conflict in the Middle East will end — combined with changing messages coming from the Donald Trump White House — gas prices have continued the same upward trajectory they’ve been on since the war began.
Gas prices in the GTA, already eye-wateringly expensive, are expected to hit a four-year high on Thursday — expecting to reach as high as $1.84 in some areas.
That, gas analyst Dan McTeague told the Toronto Sun on Thursday, is the highest Toronto-area motorists have paid for gas since July 13, 2022.
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On April 1, the Conservatives said Americans were paying an average of $1.50 per litre CAD at the pump, 20 cents less than the Canadian national average of $1.78 CAD per litre.
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Other nations cutting taxes
Poilievre said Canada should follow the example of other nations who’ve reacted to the worldwide price spikes by giving their citizens a break on fuel levies.
“While other countries scrap taxes on gas and diesel to lower the cost at the pump, Carney is raising them at exactly the worst time,” Poilievre said in the party’s statement.
“Conservatives would eliminate all taxes on gas and diesel until the end of the year to restore an affordable life for Canadians.”
Emergency decrees issued by Italy saw that nation drop fuel excise taxes, while Spain reduced their fuel tax by 30 euro cents.
Other nations that’ve cut fuel taxes in response to the price spikes include Austria, ireland, Poland, Australia and Sweden.
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