Ontario shoots down idea of temporarily cutting gas tax as prices climb
Ontario's energy minister has shot down the idea of a temporary cut to gas taxes similar to Alberta as prices at the pump continue to climb.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced on Monday the government will temporarily stop collecting the provincial fuel tax on April 1, cutting fuel prices by 13 cents per litre. The tax would be indexed to the cost per barrel of West Texas Intermediate and would return when prices drop below USD$80.
When asked about whether Ontario would consider a similar policy, Minister Todd Smith said the province would only cut taxes if the federal government slashes the GST first.
"Any moves we make in Ontario will be contingent on the federal government making a change to their taxation policy," Smith told reporters at Queen's Park Tuesday.
The Ontario Progressive Conservative party promised to cut gas taxes by 5.7 cents per litre during the 2018 provincial election, and Premier Doug Ford doubled down on the pledge last November, promising the cut would come before the government tables the spring budget.
Ontario's fuel tax adds 14.7 cent per litre to the price of gas.
GAS PRICES GOING UP AGAIN
Gas prices in Ontario are expected to climb up again this week, pushing prices at the pump closer to $2 per litre.
According to Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Energy, gas prices will go up on Thursday morning on average to $1.909 per litre.
The average price in Ontario right now is $1.849 per litre.
Early on Tuesday, McTeague told CTV News Toronto the price of gas would go up more than 10 per litre, but he has since revised that estimate "because of market volatility."
"We're coming in striking range of $2 per litre in Ontario," McTeague told CTV News Toronto. "Does it go over? I think it's a safe bet."
"This is unprecedented and the sky truly is the limit," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.