Poilievre calls for gas tax relief for rest of year

With the price of gas causing hardship for many Canadians, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for Canada’s fuel taxes to be suspended for the rest of the year.

Analysts expect the price of gas to actually go down overnight, but then jump back up again on the weekend.

With gas prices soaring above the $1.70 per-litre range, people in Hamilton are noticing a big jump in how much their commute is costing them. Some say they are driving less.

“I really think more about my trips. Where I’m headed to, you know, like can I get all of this done in one trip,” said one local driver.

The price is expected to fluctuate over the next two days — forecast to drop slightly at midnight tonight but then go up by five or six cents a litre on Saturday.

“I expect the price of fuel to actually drop five cents a litre … unfortunately I’m seeing it probably reversing itself the next day on Saturday,” said Roger McKnight, EN-PRO chief petroleum analyst.

McKnight says predicting where the price is going beyond the next few days is much harder.

“Well, it all depends on the mood swings of President Trump. You’re trying to ask me what the price is going to be next Thursday? I haven’t got a clue,” said McKnight.

The cost spiked after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran — leading to crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz being cut, and the shut down of energy production in parts of the Middle East.

READ MORE: Conservatives call for dropping gas tax and cutting “wasteful spending” to pay for it

U.S. President Donald Trump said last night that America will continue its strikes on Iran for the next two or three weeks, driving the price of oil to more than $110 U.S. per barrel.

But however long the higher prices last, some drivers in Hamilton think it’s time for the government to step in and bring the cost down.

And so does the federal leader of the opposition.

“The recent increase in gas prices is the result of the war in Iran. But the long-term high costs in Canada are the result of Liberal taxes,” said Poilievre.

Poilievre wants Prime Minister Mark Carney’s liberals to pause federal gas and diesel taxes for the rest of the year, saying it would save about 25 cents a litre on gas — and pointing out that Canadian gas prices are higher than in the U.S.

“28 cents higher in Canadian dollars in Canada versus the U.S,” said Poilievre.

Poilievre suggested the tax cut would cost Ottawa $5.25 billion, which he says could be paid for through wasteful spending cuts, although he didn’t go into detailed specifics.

Federal government documents show the cost to cut the federal excise tax and GST on fuel for the remainder of 2026 could be more than $6 billion.

The Carney government hasn’t yet announced any cost-relief measures on the high price of fuel.

But when asked about cutting federal fuel taxes earlier this week, Carney said he is monitoring the high prices, and more on the federal response will be provided in the spring fiscal update.

Australia, Spain and Ireland have already lowered gas prices by reducing fuel taxes.

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