Ontario government introduces legislation to temporarily cut gas, fuel taxes
Ontario plans to temporarily reduce taxes on gas and diesel, but it will only take effect after the June provincial election.
The Progressive Conservative government introduced legislation on Mondaythat, if passed, would lower the gas tax by 5.7 cents per litre and the fuel tax -- which includes diesel -- by 5.3 cents per litre for six months.
The change would take effect on July 1 and end on Dec. 31.
The announcement comes as prices at the pump surge across Canada. Average prices in Ontario are hovering around $1.70 per litre.
"The people of Ontario and across the country have just been getting gouged, day in and day out," Premier Doug Ford said at an unrelated announcement in Oshawa, Ont.
"You see the gas prices, just skyrocketing, unprecedented prices. And it's about time that the government starts putting money back into the people's pocket instead of the government's pocket.
Ford first promised to cut the provincial gas tax by that amount nearly four years ago, during the 2018 election campaign.
One of the Progressive Conservatives' signature pocketbook promises was to cut gas prices by 10 cents per litre. The party said that would be accomplished by scrapping Ontario's cap-and-trade system and cutting the provincial gas tax.
The government did end cap-and-trade soon after the election, meant to lower prices by 4.3 cents a litre, but that prompted the federal carbon tax backstop to kick in, negating those savings. Ford's government tried fighting the levy in court, but lost.
Last fall, Ford promised to make good on his 2018 promise to implement the remaining 5.7-cent cut before the upcoming budget, but then he backtracked soon after, saying he would only implement such a cut if the federal government did something similar.
Ford said Monday the "time wasn't right" for him to introduce a cut to gas prices in the fall.
"The gas prices weren't where they're at right now," he said.
Ford said he is still encouraging Ottawa to implement a further cut.
The New Democrats have called for gas price regulation and have introduced a private member's bill to that effect for a third time, but Energy Minister Todd Smith has cited Ontario Energy Board studies suggesting that wouldn't actually lower prices.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.