by Ghazal Fatima
“I drive over an hour to work every day, and gas prices have been tough,” said James, a delivery driver from Toronto. “I was surprised to see the huge decline. This tax cut helps a lot. I just hope it stays and doesn’t come back after the election.”
Canadian drivers are seeing lower gas prices after the federal government removed the consumer carbon tax. The tax had added about 17.6 cents per litre to fuel costs and had been scheduled to increase on April 1. This move which was announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on March 14, effectively removes the consumer fuel charge. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre had been campaigning to “axe the tax” for the past two years.
In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford also made a previous gas tax cut of 5.7 cents per litre permanent. This means drivers in Ontario are saving about 23.3 cents per litre in total.
Motorists have mixed feelings about the change. While some appreciate the savings, others are concerned the government will increase other taxes to compensate.
Others worry about environmental consequences. “Lower gas prices are nice, but would that last?” said Afreena Hamid, a teacher from Scarborough. “If they remove this tax, how will they reduce emissions? I worry they’ll bring in another tax later.”
Critics argued that the removal of the carbon tax is a political move ahead of the election. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has suggested the tax cut may be temporary, with the possibility of it being reinstated after the election. Liberal leader Mark Carney has said his government would increase industrial carbon taxes instead.
Experts say the carbon tax was originally introduced to encourage businesses and consumers to reduce carbon emissions. With its removal, questions remain about how the government plans to address climate change without imposing new costs elsewhere.
For now, drivers are enjoying lower fuel prices but remain uncertain about the future. Whether this tax removal will last beyond the election remains to be seen.
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