Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the Liberals are quietly pushing through a second carbon tax that will drive up the cost of fuel, heating, and basic living expenses for Canadians already struggling to make ends meet.The measure, framed as Clean Fuel Regulations, will increase fuel prices by 17 cents a litre by 2030, according to the outgoing Parliamentary Budget Officer. Conservatives call it “carbon tax 2.0,” warning it will add $136 a year to household costs, with the biggest burden falling on lower and middle-income Canadians.Poilievre said the policy will hit single mothers, seniors, rural households, and even those relying on mass transit. .The government’s own regulatory analysis admitted the costs will “disproportionately impact” those least able to afford them.Maritime families are expected to be hit especially hard because of their dependence on home heating oil, with costs in Nova Scotia and PEI climbing by more than $200 annually. Nationally, the second carbon tax is forecast to cause a $6.4 billion economic contraction, including a $3.7 billion hit in Ontario, $1.27 billion in Quebec, and hundreds of millions in losses across Atlantic Canada.Poilievre said reversing the Liberal cost-of-living crisis and protecting stronger take-home pay will be his top priority this fall. “Canadians cannot afford another Liberal stealth tax that drives up costs and drives down the economy,” he said.
