Ottawa’s planned increase of the federal carbon tax on April Fool’s Day is no laughing matter for more than two-thirds of Canadians.
The poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation found opposition to be strong across the country with the exception of British Columbia and Quebec, the two provinces exempt from the federal tax. Both provinces have their own provincial carbon levies.
Seventy-one percent of Canadians 35 and older and 62 percent of respondents ages 18 to 34 were against the tax hike. Rural residents were strongly opposed at 75 percent, while 70 percent of suburban and 63 percent of urban respondents were against the increase.
Carbon Tax on the Rise
Carbon pricing, which slaps a tax on carbon-emitting fuels, was introduced in 2019 in a bid by the Liberals to reduce CO2 emissions. Mr. Trudeau has described the carbon tax as a necessity to convince Canadians to switch to more eco-friendly fuels so the country can achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Carbon pricing kicked off at $20 per tonne and increased by $10 per tonne each year until reaching $50 per tonne in 2022. The Liberals then set the price to rise by $15 per tonne every year, starting in 2023, until it reaches $170 per tonne in 2030.
The report indicated the carbon tax would result in a “net loss” of between $377 and $911 in 2024–25 for most Canadian households even after receiving federal rebates.
“Based on our analysis, most households will pay more in fuel charges and GST—as well as receiving slightly lower incomes—than they will receive in Climate Action Incentive payments,” said PBO Yves Giroux in a statement last year announcing the release of the report.
