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Hon. Todd Smith

  • MPP
  • Member of Provincial Parliament
  • Bay of Quinte
  • Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
  • Ontario
  • Unit 8 5503 Hwy. 62 S Belleville, ON K8N 0L5 Todd.Smithco@pc.ola.org
  • tel: 613-962-1144
  • fax: 613-969-6381
  • Todd.Smithco@pc.ola.org

  • Government Page
  • Apr/17/24 11:10:00 a.m.

I’m going to bring some more good news for the residents of Richmond Hill this morning: Our government is actually trying to make life more affordable for people by reducing the cost of gasoline by 10.7 cents a litre.

Unfortunately, I do have to deliver some bad news, but it’s not because of anything our government is doing. If you heard the organization this morning, Canadians for Affordable Energy, on news, on TV and radio this morning, they’re talking about a 14-cent jump at the pumps tonight.

Part of this is because of the federal carbon tax that increased a couple of weeks ago—a carbon tax that Justin Trudeau, when he had the opportunity to hit the pause button or take it off of the cost of living in Ontario, decided, “No, I’m going to increase it by a whopping 23%.” So, tonight, we’re going to see the price of gas go to a buck 80—a buck 80, on average, across the province. And the teeny, tiny Liberal caucus here is more than happy to support Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax—

Yesterday, the federal Liberals up on Parliament Hill had an opportunity in their budget to provide some relief for the people of Ontario, and they didn’t provide any relief. And now, as a result, tonight, we’re seeing the price of gas increase by 14 cents a litre to a buck 80. It would be a buck 90 if we weren’t taking 10.7 cents a litre, approaching $2 a litre, but that’s what Justin Trudeau and that’s what the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, want to do. They want to make the price of gas more expensive. That’s why they’re putting this federal carbon tax on there, and the queen of the carbon tax is happy to have that federal tax in place.

It’s unacceptable for people who are living in an affordability crisis in Ontario and across the country to have this punitive carbon tax in place. Do what we’re doing: Try and make life more affordable for the people of Ontario.

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  • Nov/1/23 11:30:00 a.m.

Thank you very much, to the member opposite, for the question. Just yesterday, the Premier was out talking about the fact that we’re extending the gas tax rebate by 10 cents a litre. We know that the federal carbon tax is driving that up by 14 cents a litre every year.

Our government is the one that removed licence plate sticker fees, saving motorists all across the province a significant amount of money every year. That’s something that the federal government can’t get their hands on, so that was a tangible thing that’s in the pockets of the people of Ontario.

The Ontario Electricity Rebate, which was announced a couple of weeks ago, is reducing the cost of electricity for customers all across the province by 15% to 17%. That’s farmers, small businesses and homeowners. And we also have the CER, which reduces the cost of electricity for our industrial customers.

It was very disheartening on Thursday last week when the Prime Minister came out and announced a carve-out from the carbon tax for only Atlantic Canadians.

Green steelmaking, Mr. Speaker: We have a great track record on reducing emissions and reducing the cost of business, and putting Ontario back on the map. But the federal government has to come to the table and realize that they’re not just hurting Atlantic Canadians, they’re hurting Canadians from coast to coast to coast, and that includes here in Ontario. It’s time to scrap the tax.

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