Poilievre condemns ‘out of touch’ Liberals for pushing the 'inflationary' carbon tax
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promises to put the ‘common people’ first in his latest condemnation of the federal carbon tax.
“Work doesn’t pay. Interest rates are rising faster than ever in monetary history,” said Poilievre on Thursday to launch the 2023 Conservative policy convention in Québec City.
Though the central bank held its prime rate on interbank loans at 5% — the highest in 22 years — things could change at the following rate announcement on October 25.
On Thursday, the Bank of Canada announced it may hike interest rates again this fall “if needed” should gas prices continue to climb.
On average, drivers in Calgary paid $1.44 per litre, whereas Québecers paid $1.79 in Montréal and $1.82 in Québec City. Gas is most expensive on Canada's east coast in the Maritimes, and neared $2.00 a litre on the west coast in Victoria and Vancouver, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.
“What does [Trudeau] want to do about it? Quadruple the carbon tax to 61 cents a litre,” said Poilievre.
Pierre Poilievre calls out the Trudeau Liberals' carbon tax for driving up Canadians' cost of living.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 6, 2023
"We see homelessness on the rise, hopelessness everywhere," he says. "The good news is life was not like this before Justin Trudeau."https://t.co/t50c3TNz74 pic.twitter.com/xnHHePeSYq
On August 31, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) hosted its annual Gas Tax Honesty press conference highlighting the high cost of federal gas taxes.
“If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were serious about making life more affordable, he would cut gas taxes today,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the CTF.
“It’s time for Trudeau to end his tone-deaf tax hikes.”
The CTF’s Gas Tax Honesty Report unveiled that taxes at the pump cost, on average, 55 cents per litre of gas. It says that federal taxes constitute about 31 cents per litre of gas.
The feds and six provinces calculated the “tax-on-tax” sales taxes levied against drivers at an extra 4.1 cents per litre of gas, on average.
According to daily price checks by Natural Resource Canada, regular gasoline sold Thursday at a national average of $1.71 per litre — a 15% hike from last January, reported Blacklock's Reporter.
Poilievre contends that excess federal spending left Canadians vulnerable to interest rate hikes. “Inflationary deficits have forced the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates more quickly than at any time in our monetary history,” he told reporters.
Poilievre says "let's get back to some common sense" after fmr. Liberal environment minister Catherine McKenna called Conservatives "arsonists" for opposing carbon taxes.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 21, 2023
"As if we paid higher taxes we'd have less forest fires? Come on," he says. pic.twitter.com/PkWMiLcVF0
In a statement, the Bank said that current fuel prices are problematic, as “the recent increase in gasoline prices, inflation is expected to be higher in the near term.”
They will “continue to assess the dynamics of core inflation and the inflation outlook.”
“In particular, we will be evaluating whether the evolution of excess demand, inflation expectations, wage growth and corporate pricing behaviour are consistent with achieving the two percent inflation target,” said the Bank. The current Consumer Price Index is 3.3%, with food inflation at 9% or more.
The Tories condemned the Trudeau Liberals at the convention for raising the carbon tax on “single mothers who have to buy groceries for their kids” and “working class carpenters who need a pickup truck to do their jobs.”
“He does this while he jets around the world, [and] while his environment minister goes to Beijing,” added Poilievre. “He won’t wag his fingers at the leaders of that country — China, the country that emits the most greenhouse gasses of any country on earth.”
JUST NOW:
— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) September 8, 2023
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault defends his collaboration with Communist China on climate policies.
In response to claims of hypocrisy, he vows to confront CHINA's unchecked coal expansion with a plan to implement carbon pricing.https://t.co/rrMgbvsWUZ pic.twitter.com/QMzFgPe6Ev
The Tory leader promised change is on the way. “Conservatives will get back to the common sense of the common people. We’ll make the country work for the people who’ve done the work,” he said.
“We’ll do this by bringing home lower prices. That means axing the carbon tax to lower the cost of gas, heat and groceries.”
The federal gas tax bill is set to increase annually until 2030 because of Trudeau’s carbon tax hikes.
By 2030, federal gas taxes will cost about 74 cents per litre. According to the CTF, that will cost a family about $56 every time they fuel their minivan.
“The big tax bill at the pumps is about to get bigger because of Trudeau’s carbon tax hikes,” said Terrazzano.
“The last thing Canadians need is higher carbon taxes that make it more expensive to drive to work, buy groceries and keep our homes warm.”
