Ottawa, ON – After 11 years of Liberal anti-development policies and higher taxes, Canadians face record costs on fuel, food and transportation. That’s why Conservatives have continued their call to scrap all taxes on fuel with a motion calling for immediate relief for Canadians.
Compared to April of last year, Canadians are now paying 19.2 per cent more for energy and an astonishing 28.6 per cent more for gas. While Liberals try to blame global factors, prices are nearly 16 cents higher per litre in Canada than in the United States – almost 10 per cent more expensive.
In June 2014, oil prices rose to over $100 a barrel – $10 more expensive than today – yet under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, gas prices were around 45 cents cheaper per litre. This is the direct result of Liberal taxes on fuel, including the Clean Fuel Standard, industrial carbon tax and fuel excise tax, which, added with the GST, have made Canadian gas and diesel prices higher.
While paying higher prices at the pump, food price inflation has also risen at nearly double the headline inflation target. In fact, for every month the Prime Minister has been in office, food inflation has outpaced overall inflation, forcing Canadians to pay more for the basic necessities of life.
As a result, food bank usage has doubled since 2019 to nearly 2.2 million visits per month, and one in four Canadian kids now go to school hungry. 34 per cent of Canadians now say they have to use their savings or borrow money just to afford food, while 24 per cent now live in households reporting food insecurity.
While Canadian families are struggling with the pain of an ever-higher cost-of-living, Carney’s Finance Minister said “we have already acted” when asked if we can expect any relief. The action? Taking just one-third of the taxes on gas off for just one-third of the year.
According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the Liberal plan would save the average household just $124. By contrast, the Conservatives plan to remove all Liberal taxes on gas and diesel for the rest of the year and permanently remove the Liberal Clean Fuel Standard would save 25 cents a litre and a family of four about $1,200.
Canadians need a government where leaders act, and this government should act by reducing the tax burden for Canadians. It’s time for Liberals to listen and pass the Conservative motion to offer Canadians immediate relief and make Canada affordable at home.