This was Doug Ford's gas price promise during his 2018 election campaign
Shortly after being elected in 2018, Doug Ford promised he would make the price at the pumps a top priority for his government.
"I told the people that we're reducing gas tax by 10 cents a litre," Ford said in June 2018.
Shortly after being, elected the Ford government cancelled the cap-and-trade system in Ontario, which was designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
That had an immediate effect on the price of gasoline, cutting it down by 4.3 cents per litre.
However, it also triggered the federal backstop on the price of carbon, which led to a carbon tax being imposed on the province of Ontario. It drove up the price of fuel by 4.4 cents per litre, effectively erasing Ford's fuel price cut.
A man prepares to fill his car's gas tank in Toronto. (Michelle Siu / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
More than three years after that promise, little has changed.
Gas prices are hitting record highs in parts of Ontario and they're showing no signs of slowing down.
One expert believes that gas prices could hit as high as $1.50 cents per litre in the Toronto area in the coming weeks.
It comes at a time when many families are already struggling with the higher cost of living and dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Ontario, each time a driver fills up their gas tank, both the federal and provincial governments get their cut.
Ten cents per litre goes to the federal excise tax, 8.8 cents per litre goes to the federal carbon tax, 14.7 cents per litre goes to the Ontario fuel tax and 15.8 cents per litre goes to the HST.
On Thursday, Ontario's Environment Minister David Piccini was asked what the government plans to do about gas prices in the province.
"As a government, we're always open to working with the federal government and exploring options to reduce prices in the province of Ontario," Piccini said.
But the government wouldn't say what those options are, leaving questions about whether Ford's gas price promise will come true.
"It looks like Doug Ford's ten-cent reduction in the price of gas was really just an election ploy and they have no intention of protecting consumers," NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Thursday.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath speaks during a press conference at Queen's Park in Toronto on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018. Horwath is promising that if her party wins Ontario's next election, the province will commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at standards in line with international targets. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Meanwhile, Green Party leader Mike Schreiner says Ontarians should forget about fuel and opt for other options instead.
"Let's make electric vehicles affordable for people so they’re not gouged at the pumps," he said.
Experts say the reason for the surge in prices recently is due to increased demand and undersupply of oil globally.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.