As costs jump, Parti Québécois pledges to lower gas prices if elected
A Parti Québécois government would act quickly to reduce the recent jump in the price of gasoline across the province, an increase triggered by the attacks on Iran and that country’s subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the party’s energy critic pledged.
In a message on social media Tuesday, PQ MNA Pascal Paradis said his party has been trying unsuccessfully for the past year to convince the ruling Coalition Avenir Québec to reduce the “unfair difference in gas prices (in Quebec) with neighbouring provinces.”
Devant la hausse du coût de l’essence, nous réitérons l’urgence de donner un peu d’air aux citoyens et aux entreprises du Québec. Depuis mai 2025, le Parti Québécois demande au gouvernement d’utiliser les moyens fiscaux à sa disposition pour réduire l’écart inéquitable du prix de… pic.twitter.com/cap6ikIkxy
— Pascal Paradis (@pascalpparadis) March 10, 2026
Paradis said eliminating the provincial sales tax on gasoline as well as Quebec’s carbon tax on gasoline were options that could be studied as means to reduce the financial burden on drivers.
“The status quo is unacceptable for Quebecers,” he said.
The PQ’s announcement comes as CAQ leadership candidates suggested their own plans for easing the pain at the gas pump for the province’s motorists.
Bernard Drainville suggested a refund of provincial tax revenues increased by the jump in gas prices could be paid out in the form of a cheque or tax credit, while Christine Fréchette has said any refund would be contained
in a reduction in drivers’ registration renewal fees.
La guerre en Iran fait en sorte que les Québécois paient leur essence de plus en plus cher.
Chaque fois que le prix à la pompe augmente, ce sont les Québécois qui doivent sortir davantage d’argent de leur poche.Mais ce qu’on oublie souvent de dire, c’est que lorsque le prix de… pic.twitter.com/YA9jsr7VYP
— Bernard Drainville (@BDrainvilleQc) March 10, 2026
⛽️ La situation actuelle, avec le conflit en Iran, et la hausse du prix de l’essence me préoccupe. Grandement.
Il faut agir 𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞̀𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞́𝐞 pour protéger le portefeuille des automobilistes québécois.
À ce sujet, j’ai d’ailleurs aboli le prix plancher de… pic.twitter.com/nOUGlbiu68
— Christine Fréchette (@CFrechette) March 10, 2026
Pump prices in Quebec for gasoline have risen by 10 to 20 cents a litre since the attacks launched on Iran by the United States and Israel began on Feb. 28.
Meanwhile, according to multiple reports, the International Energy Agency on Wednesday was on the verge of recommending the release of as much as 400 million barrels of oil in strategic reserves this month in an effort to stabilize energy prices.
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