About half of Ontarians want to abolish carbon tax, poll suggests
About half of Ontarians say they would abolish the carbon tax if given the chance, a new poll suggests.
A new Liaison Strategies poll released this week, which surveyed 1,280 Ontarians, suggests that about 49 per cent of residents support cancelling of carbon pricing while about 27 per cent argue it should stay in place.
"When it comes to climate change and the carbon tax - Ontarians have a lot of mixed opinions but 54 per cent say that affordability and the cost of living is more important than protecting the environment, Principal David Valentin said in a statement.
Canada’s price on carbon pollution increased by $15 per tonne on April 1 as part of an annual hike.
The policy is meant to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The federal government does offer a rebate to consumers as part of their tax return.
When asked if they would still support abolishing the carbon tax if it meant also cancelling the federal rebate associated with the program, the numbers are a bit smaller.
About 41 per cent of respondents stood firm on their decision to cancel the program, while about 37 per cent said to keep it.
While the majority of respondents said they believe the amount of pollution produced in Ontario is decreasing compared to five years ago, just 21 per cent believe the province is doing the most to reduce it.
About 54 per cent of respondents said the federal government was doing the most to reduce pollution, while similarly, about 65 per cent said the provincial government was doing the least.
The poll comes as the federal Conservatives press for a televised sit down between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and premiers to discuss halting the policy, a motion that the New Democratic Party has supported.
It’s important to note that provinces can adopt their own carbon pricing program in order to opt out of the federal carbon tax, something the Ford government has refused to do.
PCs still in the lead
If a provincial election were held in Ontario today, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives would hang on to the lead.
According to the survey, about 35 per cent said they would cast a vote for the PCs, while 25 per cent said they would vote for the Ontario Liberal Party.
The Ontario NDP had about 15 per cent support while the Green Party had four per cent support.
About 16 per cent of respondents were undecided.
Methodology
The survey was conducted using interactive voice recordings between April 6 and April 7. Responses were weighed using demographic and geographic information compared with the 2021 census. The margin of error is about plus or minus 2.74 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Loblaw leaders push back on 'misguided criticism' of grocer as boycott begins
Loblaw's new chief executive, as well as chairman Galen Weston, pushed back on what they called 'misguided criticism' of the grocer as a push to boycott the company gains steam online.
TD Bank hit with $9.2M penalty after failing to report suspicious transactions
Canada's financial intelligence agency says it has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Doctors concerned about potential spread of bird flu in Canada
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
There's a limit to how much interest rates in Canada and U.S. can diverge: Macklem
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canadian interest rates don't have to match U.S. or global rates, but there is a limit to how much they can diverge.
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
Airbnb's Icons allow you to drift off in the 'Up' house or rest in Prince's 'Purple Rain' mansion
The vacation destination rental company announced a new category of 'Icons,' a collection of 'extraordinary experiences hosted by the greatest names in music, film, television, art, sports, and more.'
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.