Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Michael Chong, Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance, released the following statement on Canadians’ desire to see the tax holiday on gas and diesel extended beyond Labour Day:
“Canadians need relief from ongoing high gas and diesel prices, especially as the OECD pointed out in its recent statistical release that energy and food prices are the primary drivers of inflation in Canada.
“Unless the Carney government takes action, these high fuel costs will only get higher after Labour Day when the excise tax holiday of 10 cents per litre on gas and 4 cents per litre on diesel ends.
“That’s despite 63 per cent of Canadians opposing an end to the suspension of the fuel excise tax, with 43 per cent strongly opposed to the tax returning in September. 72 per cent of seniors, 68 per cent of women, and 65 per cent of those 35-54 years-old oppose ending the fuel tax suspension.
“Conservatives call on the Carney government to not only extend the excise tax holiday for the rest of the year, but also remove the GST on gas and diesel, saving drivers up to 25 cents a litre. Conservatives also call on the government to eliminate the Clean Fuel Regulation.
“That would save around $20 per fill-up and about $500 for a family of four through the rest of the year. The fuel regulations currently add 7 cents per litre, but will rise to cost Canadians 17 cents per litre by 2030, according to the Liberals’ own data.
“Cutting the taxes on fuel and eliminating regulation won’t just lower prices at the pump, but make the cost of everything shipped by a truck or train that uses fuel, from food to homebuilding materials, more affordable. As the OECD has highlighted, in Canada, energy is one of the two primary drivers of inflation.
“Mr. Carney needs to understand that low- to middle-income Canadians are struggling to pay for the costs of daily living. The Carney government needs to extend the excise tax holiday on gas and diesel for the rest of the year, remove the GST, and permanently eliminate the fuel regulations.”