Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is urging incoming Prime Minister and new Liberal leader Mark Carney to scrap the federal carbon tax “immediately,” warning it’s crushing households already struggling with rising costs of living.
Carney pledged during his Liberal leadership campaign to “immediately remove the consumer carbon tax.”
The CTF says Carney must act before the tax rises again on April 1.
“Newly announced Liberal leader Mark Carney is set to be sworn in as prime minister, and he needs to make good on his pledge and get rid of the carbon tax right now,” said Kris Sims, Alberta Director of CTF.
“When he was running for Liberal Party leadership, Carney said he would remove the consumer carbon tax and he needs to do that immediately.”
Sims pointed out that Ottawa can slash the tax to $0 under existing laws without waiting for Parliament to resume.
The carbon tax is set to jump to 21 cents per litre of gasoline, 25 cents for diesel, and 18 cents per cubic metre of natural gas next month.
Filling a minivan would cost $15 more, a pickup truck $25 extra, and a diesel big rig up to $250.
Households could also pay up to $440 more this winter to heat homes with natural gas.
Sims said the hike comes as “half of Canadians are broke,” with many within $200 monthly of missing bill payments.
“The carbon tax is an unfair tax on everything because it punishes Canadians for driving to work, heating their homes, delivering goods, and growing food – it needs to be scrapped immediately.”
The CTF stressed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act allows the government to zero out the tax rate instantly, even with Parliament prorogued.
Carney, set to become the next prime minister, has not yet confirmed timelines for axing the carbon tax.