Lewis calls on Trudeau to give the carbon tax a summer break | May 21, 2024
BY MARK BROWN
MAY 21, 2024 – 3:00AM
The Member of Parliament for Essex hopes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will help give Canadians a break with their wallets as the summer travel season gets underway.
Chris Lewis has joined other Conservatives in asking the Liberal government to hit the “pause” button on the carbon tax, the federal gas tax, and the GST, to give people a respite from high prices.
“After nine years of Justin Trudeau, Canadians are being forced to cancel their summer vacations as the Liberals’ tax-and-spend agenda has made even a simple road trip unaffordable,” said Lewis in a media release.” Parents can barely afford basic necessities, much less a summer vacation…Families will have to pay $700 more for food this year than they did in 2023.”
Lewis also said that now is not the time to consider an increase in the carbon tax, as concerns remain about inflation and elevated prices at the grocery store.
“Common Sense Conservatives and I are calling on Trudeau to give Canadians a break this summer by axing the carbon tax, the gas tax, and the GST between Victoria Day and Labour Day, so families can afford to take a simple summer vacation,” said Lewis.
According to the Government of Canada’s official website, increasing the carbon tax creates a “financial incentive for people and businesses to pollute less”, by taxing entities that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Proceeds go back to the province or territory they were collected from.
On the provincial level, Ontario Premier Doug Ford last month criticized the carbon tax increase that kicked in on April 1, saying that agri-business has started to feel the pinch.