Two-thirds of Canadians oppose April 1st carbon tax increase: poll

Article content material

OTTAWA – Over two-thirds of Canadians oppose the Trudeau Liberals’ deliberate improve to the federal carbon tax, suggests new numbers launched this week by Leger.

Within the ballot commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, 69 per cent of respondents stated they’re not in help of accelerating the federal carbon tax, which is scheduled to extend on April 1.

Article content material

Article content material

“The ballot proves the overwhelming majority of Canadians don’t help and might’t afford one other carbon tax hike,” stated Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation “If Trudeau and his MPs care about making life extra reasonably priced for Canadians, then the least they might do will not be hike their carbon tax.”

Canadians will see one other hike to the federal carbon tax on April Idiot’s Day, with the levy growing to 17 cents per litre of gasoline, 21 cents per litre of diesel, and 15 cents per cubic metre of pure gasoline.

Opposition to growing the carbon tax largely comes from provinces outdoors of British Columbia and Quebec — whose provincial carbon levy schemes exempt them from the federal tax.

Seventy-one per cent of these aged between 35 and 54, and respondents over the age of 55, have been extra prone to be towards the tax improve, whereas 62 per cent of respondents between 18 and 34 stated they have been opposed.

Three-quarters of rural respondents have been opposed, together with 70 per cent of suburban and 63 per cent of city respondents.

Of the 31 per cent who have been in favour of the April 1 improve, most have been between the ages of 18 and 34, and lived in city areas.

Article content material

Article content material

The ballot of 1,590 Canadians over the age of 18 was carried out utilizing Leger’s on-line panel between Feb. 23 and 25, 2024.

As conventional margins-of-error can’t be utilized to non-random net panels, Leger says a comparable chance pattern of 1,590 respondents would have a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 occasions out of 20.

Opposition to growing the tax got here largely from respondents in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the place 76 per cent of those that say they opposed the hike have been from.

As Canada’s ongoing affordability disaster escalated, enthusiasm for the carbon tax waned — with many asking as an alternative for aid as prices for meals, vitality and hire spiralled uncontrolled.

The federal government’s case for the tax plummeted additional after the federal government’s choice in October to exempt dwelling heating oil from the carbon tax — a transfer largely believed as a way to shore up cratering Liberal help in Atlantic Canada.

That transfer kindled dissent in western Canada, with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe asserting that SaskEnergy would stop amassing the carbon levy from their prospects this 12 months.

Article content material

Late final week, Dustin Duncan — the Saskatchewan cupboard minister answerable for SaskEnergy — launched a video asserting the province certainly didn’t remit these funds to Ottawa by the Thursday deadline.

The transfer, Duncan stated, offered financial aid for Atlantic Canadians, however gave the remainder of Canada the chilly shoulder.

“Our authorities responded instantly and despatched a transparent message to the federal authorities that we couldn’t settle for this unfair remedy,” stated Duncan in his video, shot in entrance of the biogas-fuelled centennial flame.

“That’s why Premier Scott Moe introduced that SaskEnergy would cease amassing the carbon tax on residential houses and to provide Saskatchewan households the identical affordability aid that Trudeau is giving to Atlantic Canada.”

College of Calgary Economics Professor Trevor Tombe stated that whereas the opposition to such a visual levy because the carbon tax isn’t shocking, governments should — and may — think about the significance of public help.

“If Canadians need governments to focus on some sectors and areas for particular burdens greater than others, or to focus on companies greater than people, that’s truthful sufficient. If Canadians wish to take much less motion on local weather coverage, that’s additionally completely truthful,” he stated.

“As an Albertan, although, I can’t assist however concern the place selective coverage leads us. It’s laborious to keep away from particular burdens positioned on oil and gasoline in a world with out broad-based insurance policies.”

Nationwide Put up

Our web site is the place for the newest breaking information, unique scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and join our day by day publication, Posted, right here.

Article content material