price

Tuesday May 14, 2019 

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 14, 2019 

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians oppose provincial governments spending taxpayers’ dollars to battle federal carbon tax, poll says

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians oppose provincial governments spending taxpayers’ dollars to battle the federal carbon tax, says a new poll released Monday as the Ontario government launched a new television ad slamming the levy.

April 30, 2019

About 64 per cent of respondents said it is unacceptable for provinces to opt out of the federal effort to combat climate change, including the carbon tax, according to a survey done by Nanos Research for The Globe and Mail. As well, 64 per cent of respondents said they oppose provincial governments spending public money to fight the tax.

Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick are pursuing legal challenges to the levy, which the Liberal government imposed in those provinces that do not have a carbon pricing system of their own, as part of Ottawa’s overall effort to meet its international commitment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

April 17, 2019

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is expected to unveil legislation on May 22 to rescind the provincial carbon tax adopted by the former New Democratic Party government. Mr. Kenney said he, too, will launch a legal challenge if, as promised, the federal government imposed its carbon tax in place of the provincial one that is to be cancelled.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his ministers have launched a multipronged opposition campaign that includes the court challenge in which a decision is expected soon; frequent ministerial photo ops highlighting the cost of the levy; a move to require gas stations to post stickers detailing the cost, and paid advertising. In a spot to air Monday, an Ontario government ad says the carbon tax will cost the average family $648 a year in 2022. Like the rest of the provincial material, the Ontario ad does not include any mention of the fact that the federal legislation requires all revenue raised to be returned to the province, with 80 per cent of families expected to receive more through a rebate delivered on their income tax return than they paid out in tax.

April 15, 2015

“It’s pretty clear that Canadians don’t like the idea of provinces opting out with the exception of Canadians in the Prairie provinces,” pollster Nik Nanos said. “While the carbon tax and the rebate is not a big political winner [for the federal Liberals], people definitely don’t like using provincial tax dollars to fight the federal carbon tax.”

The survey – which has a margin of error of three percentage points – polled 1,000 Canadians by phone and online between April 25 and 28. (Globe & Mail) 

 

Saturday May 5, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 5, 2018

Ontario gas prices approach record high as election looms

The high price of gasoline is a concern right now for many of Ontario’s drivers and voters, giving it the potential to become an issue in the provincial election campaign.

The average price of regular unleaded gas across the province is sitting just shy of $1.37/litre according to data compiled by the Ministry of Energy. That’s just six cents lower than the highest-ever average price that hit the province in late June 2014, shortly after Ontario went to the polls the last time.

PC leader Doug Ford is trying to convince voters that gas prices will soar even further if the Liberals are re-elected.

“We all know that paying $1.50 for gas is what would happen under the Kathleen Wynne government,” Ford told a news conference at a gas station last week. “Kathleen Wynne will have her hand in your pocket every time you fill at the pump. I can tell you, that’s not going to happen on our watch.”  

Ford says his government would bring down gas prices by ending the Liberals’ cap-and-trade program. That would knock 4.3 cents a litre off the price.

However, Ford is not promising to scrap or reduce the provincial gasoline tax, which adds 14.7 cents to each litre. The gas tax brings $2.7 billion into provincial coffers each year, with a portion allocated to municipalities for local transit. Only three provinces have a lower gas tax than Ontario.  

“We were very clear when we took action on climate change that there was a small increase in the price of gas,” Premier Kathleen Wynne said this week in response to a question from CBC News.

She argues that this latest spike is a result of market forces.  

“There’s a very significant vacillation of gas prices,” Wynne said. “It’s very challenging, it’s a private market.” (Source: CBC) 

 

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday, May 2, 2007 Gas prices shoot higher across Canada Gas prices shot up right across the country overnight, with some stations in Vancouver reaching $1.28 a litre while pumps hit $1.13 in Halifax. Montreal motorists saw prices reach $1.18 on Tuesday, while Calgary residents saw prices increase by nine cents overnight to around $1.08. Across the Greater Toronto Area, the cost of gasoline climbed to $1.08 a litre, up from about $1.05 on Monday. In Ottawa, prices at the pumps also rose three cents a litre to just under $1.10. Liberal MP Dan McTeague, the consumer affairs critic and longtime critic of the oil industry, says prices have soared to the highest levels since Hurricane Katrina. McTeague says the increase can be blamed on a jump in the wholesale price for gasoline. He adds refineries increased the wholesale price and the gas companies have now passed along the price hike to motorists. (Source: CTV News) editorial cartoon, 2007, gas, greenhouse, oil, vox populi, protesters, anger, money, price

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Gas prices shoot higher across Canada

Gas prices shot up right across the country overnight, with some stations in Vancouver reaching $1.28 a litre while pumps hit $1.13 in Halifax.

Montreal motorists saw prices reach $1.18 on Tuesday, while Calgary residents saw prices increase by nine cents overnight to around $1.08.

Across the Greater Toronto Area, the cost of gasoline climbed to $1.08 a litre, up from about $1.05 on Monday.

In Ottawa, prices at the pumps also rose three cents a litre to just under $1.10.

Liberal MP Dan McTeague, the consumer affairs critic and longtime critic of the oil industry, says prices have soared to the highest levels since Hurricane Katrina.

McTeague says the increase can be blamed on a jump in the wholesale price for gasoline. He adds refineries increased the wholesale price and the gas companies have now passed along the price hike to motorists. (Source: CTV News)