Conservatives Propose Suspending Fuel Taxes Until End of 2026

OTTAWA, Canada – The Conservative Party of Canada proposed on Thursday suspending federal taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel for the remainder of 2026, aiming to provide immediate relief to motorists amid surging pump prices across the country.

Party Leader Pierre Poilievre announced the plan during a news conference in Ottawa, calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to eliminate three key levies: the 10-cent-per-litre fuel excise tax, the 7-cent-per-litre Clean Fuel Standard, and the 8-cent-per-litre Goods and Services Tax. The combined cuts would reduce prices by 25 cents per litre until the end of the year, with the party pledging to make the Clean Fuel Standard elimination permanent thereafter. The proposal also includes ending the industrial carbon tax entirely.

The move comes as gas prices climb to multi-year highs, driven by global oil market disruptions from the ongoing conflict in Iran. In the Greater Toronto Area, analysts predict prices could reach $1.84 per litre on Thursday, the highest since July 2022. Nationally, the average stood at $1.78 per litre on April 1, compared to $1.50 in the United States when converted to Canadian dollars. Poilievre highlighted this...