A new poll has found almost two-thirds of Canadians want Ottawa to suspend the carbon tax.
The Leger poll, which was commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), shows 64% of respondents would support the immediate suspension of the tax. Only 19% of respondents said they would be opposed to suspending the tax, while 17% were unsure.
Support for suspending the tax was highest among those who identified as Conservative at 89%. However, 67% of those who identified as Liberal also favoured suspension, along with 65% of New Democrats and 68% of Green party supporters
“The poll results are crystal clear: the vast majority of Canadians want the government to immediately suspend the carbon tax,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Canadians shouldn’t have to pay the carbon tax on one more home heating bill or one more trip to the gas station.”
A charge on greenhouse gas emissions from power-generating sources and fossil fuels, the carbon tax is set to increase to $95/tonne from the current $80 as of April 1, eventually reaching $170 by 2030. The tax has gradually increased over the years, after starting at $20 in 2019.
The carbon tax remains deeply unpopular among Canadian farmers, who say it is further squeezing already razor-thin margins. Grain Farmers of Ontario, for example, has calculated the tax will cost an average farm in the province an additional $46 per acre in direct crop drying costs by 2030. On an average 800-acre farm, that’s an increased cost of operations of $36,800.
The Conservative Party has promised to scrap the carbon tax if it forms government, and Liberal leadership hopeful Chrystia Freeland has said she would also end the tax. According to the CTF, another Liberal leadership frontrunner, Mark Carney, has said privately that he would repeal the tax as well.
