Axe fuel taxes to give Canadians a summer break

Posted on July 25, 2024 by admin

There is nothing like summer in Canada. Taking a road trip to Calgary to enjoy the zoo, camping out under the stars in Waterton, or spending the day in Writing-on-Stone National Park are just a few of the summer activities many of us enjoy each year. Summer is when memories are made as Canadians take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

These moments are precious, especially as we experience challenging times. Sadly, the reality is that Canadians are struggling to afford basic necessities, let alone a summer vacation. 

This is why my Conservative colleagues and I are fighting to bring back the fun of summer. 

We are calling on the federal government to suspend all gas and diesel taxes from Victoria Day to Labour Day to give Canadians a break. The move would suspend the carbon tax, the excise tax, and the GST on fuels, which would lower gas prices by 35.6 cents per litre on average.

I continuously hear from people in the community who are struggling to make ends meet. Due to inflation and taxation, the cost of living is rising, and it is causing the chasm between the rich and the poor to widen. Prime Minister Trudeau promised to grow “the middle class,” but in reality, his policies are making it more and more difficult for Canadians to afford food and shelter, let alone make financial gains.

Families will have to pay $700 more for food this year than they did in 2023. Food banks are finding it difficult to keep up with the level of demand on their doorstep. One of the biggest changes over the last few years is the rise in use by those who are employed and normally able to get by. 

In the middle of this historic cost-of-living crisis, Trudeau and his NDP coalition partners decided to hike the carbon tax by 23 per cent. This is just one step in his plan to quadruple the carbon tax over the next six years, making everything more expensive at the worst possible time. 

Taxes on gas and diesel are making everything unaffordable. In fact, since Trudeau took office, fuel prices have surged by more than 50 per cent. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has been clear that most families will pay more on the carbon tax than they receive in the rebate. Our own province suffers from the highest rate of carbon tax, costing the average Albertan family $2,943 per year. 

Taking a grassroots approach in government is critical for creating legislation that aligns with those who call Canada home. 70 per cent of Canadians oppose the carbon tax and its damaging effects. Despite this overwhelming opposition to the carbon tax, the Liberal government refuses to scrap it, showing complete disregard for the will of the people. 

Distain for the carbon tax is shared by 70 per cent of premiers too. Recently, Conservatives moved a motion to have the Prime Minister meet with provincial leaders to discuss the carbon tax and its detrimental impacts. Although the motion passed, Trudeau has refused to give them an hour of his time. This is just one example of the Liberal government’s out-of-touch policies that are harming families. 

Canadians deserve better. 

A break from extreme taxation on gas and diesel could save the average family $670 over the summer. And to pay for it, Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to cut back on the $21 billion they spend on overpriced consultants.

Conservatives will axe the tax on everything for everyone in a carbon tax election, but until that can happen, Trudeau must adopt our common-sense measure to give Canadians a summer break. 

The Prime Minister might be able to fly off to a luxury resort for a $230,000 taxpayer-funded vacation, but most families are being forced to scale back or cancel their road trips thanks to Trudeau’s out-of-touch inflationary spending and increased taxation. 

Canadians deserve relief, not more taxes. 

Rachael Thomas, Lethbridge MP