A day before carbon tax rebates are set to go out to Ontario families, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is fact-checking the federal government's claims that Canadians will be better off financially..“Families are still paying hundreds of dollars in carbon taxes every year, even with the rebates,” said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the CTF said on Thursday..“The Trudeau government claims families will be better off. But the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s (PBO) numbers show the government is using magic math because the carbon tax will cost the average Ontario family $360 this year even with rebates," he said..The PBO report showed the carbon tax will cost the average Ontario household $1,039 in 2022, and they will receive just $679 in rebates. That means the carbon tax will still cost the average Ontario household $360 extra this year. .In addition to the carbon tax, the federal government charges a sales tax and fuel excise tax on gasoline. When added together, federal gas taxes cost Ontario drivers 29 cents per litre, or about $22 when filling up a minivan..The federal government is also planning to impose a second carbon tax through fuel regulations in 2023, which will add a further 13 cents pre litre to the price of gas by 2030. There will be no rebates for the second carbon tax..Terrazzano said while the federal government has claimed carbon taxes reduce emissions, that is not what the data have shown. "B.C. has had the highest carbon tax in Canada for years and emissions continue to go up. So the carbon tax is not a low-cost environmental plan. The carbon tax is a high-cost tax plan.".The CTF is calling on the federal government to immediately provide relief to Canadians by cutting the carbon, fuel excise tax, sales taxes.."Today, by cutting gas taxes, the federal government could save each family 29 cents per litre on gas, which is about $22 in potential savings every time a family fuels up their vehicle," Terrazzano said..Terrazzano pointed out there is a "laundry list" of other countries that have provided gas tax relief to ease inflation, such as the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, and India.."So you have all of these other countries that are providing their citizens with relief, while Ottawa continues to stick Canadians with higher gas tax bills," he said.
