Canadians don't believe Liberals will dump carbon tax: poll

Over half of Canadians (51%) are not confident that a prime minister Chrystia Freeland or Mark Carney will eliminate the consumer carbon tax.

A new Postmedia-Leger poll says Canadians are unconvinced the Liberal Party will dump the carbon tax, whether it be led by Chrystia Freeland or Mark Carney, the supposed frontrunner.

“It’s a little bit more than just changing the policy. There is a trust factor here,” said Leger’s vice-president Andrew Enns. Only 36% said they believed it.

Over half of respondents (51%) are not confident that either will follow through on eliminating the consumer carbon tax. 

“Freeland is running on her experience as finance minister, but she gave a rambling response about listening to Canadians,” said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF). Meanwhile, Carney “didn’t provide any clarity beyond a vague suggestion that he’s working on a replacement scheme.”

Both figures were advocates of the tax until Trudeau’s resignation, suggesting a pragmatic shift in party policy to recuperate lost support.

A 2024 Leger poll commissioned by the CTF showed 69% of Canadians opposed further carbon tax hikes, with many opposed to the policy, period. A 20% tax increase is still slated for April 1, according to the Taxpayers Federation.

Enns told the National Post that trust in the federal government has eroded over the past four or five years, citing their inability to act in the best interests of Canadians.

Freeland, who oversaw consecutive carbon tax hikes as finance minister, did not push back until recently, while Carney advocated for further tax hikes for years.

Now the former deputy prime minister says she would end the consumer carbon tax, while the central banker shies away from any firm pledges. Taxpayer advocates do not believe either leadership hopeful.

“Canadians don’t want half-measures as proven by the backlash against the temporary carbon-tax exemption for home heating oil,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director.

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been clear from the start he would keep the carbon tax and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been clear he would axe the tax.”

Following Trudeau’s resignation announcement, 25% of voters expressed a willingness to support the party, who now enjoy a four-point bump (25%) in support, eating away at the Conservative wall.

Enns said the rising public sentiment has been rare over the past 18 months for the Liberals, though that changed with Trudeau’s resignation announcement.

When asked who respondents would prefer for Liberal leader, Carney (57%) more than tripled Freeland (17%). That represents a widening gap over a prior Leger poll, where Carney (27%) and Freeland (21%) were neck-and-neck.

“Anyone who wants to be a credible candidate for prime minister needs a crystal-clear answer for this question: Will you scrap the carbon tax?” reads a CTF statement.

Please sign our petition to Stop the Carbon Tax!

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Add your name to the growing chorus of Canadians who are fighting back and demanding that Justin Trudeau repeal his punishing carbon tax cash grab that hits the hardest-working Canadians the most, while doing nothing to help our environment.

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Alex Dhaliwal

Calgary Based Journalist

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

COMMENTS

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-01-31 17:36:32 -0500
    Mark Carney, full of blarney, will just move the carbon tax up stream to manufacturers. And what will they do? They’ll pass on the cost of the tax to us. So we’re no further ahead but we won’t see the effect of this bogus tax. Worse yet, some people will believe it’s gone when it isn’t.
  • Bernhard Jatzeck
    commented 2025-01-30 20:04:09 -0500
    Oh, they’ll “dump” it. They’ll simply call it something else and then increase it.