Most Canadians believe industrial carbon tax makes life more expensive

A majority of Canadians say that the industrial carbon tax increases the cost of living by driving up the prices of everyday goods.

Source: RawPixel

A majority of Canadians say that the industrial carbon tax increases the cost of living by driving up the prices of everyday goods.

A poll conducted by Léger found that 70 per cent of Canadians agree that industry passes on the costs of the industrial carbon tax to consumers in the form of higher prices for goods, with 44 per cent saying pass on a majority of the cost and 26 per cent saying the business only absorbs some of the cost.

This is in contrast to only 9 per cent of Canadians who say industry passes little or no cost onto consumers while absorbing the majority of the costs.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, while having reduced the consumer carbon tax to $0, is a staunch defender of the industrial carbon tax. Despite concerns from Canadians, Carney has maintained that producers—not consumers—would bear the cost of emissions.

Federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Franco Terrazzano said that the poll’s findings contradict Carney’s messaging on the matter.

“The poll shows Canadians understand that a carbon tax on business is a carbon tax on Canadians that makes life more expensive,” said Terrazzano.

“Only nine per cent of Canadians believe Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s claim that businesses will pay most of the cost of his carbon tax. Canadians have a simple question for Carney: How much will your carbon tax cost?”

Terrazzano said that an industrial carbon tax increases the cost of the vital economic inputs that industry requires to provide goods for the Canadian market.

“Carbon taxes on refineries make gas more expensive, carbon taxes on utilities make home heating more expensive and carbon taxes on fertilizer plants increase costs for farmers and that makes groceries more expensive,” said Terrazzano.

“A carbon tax on business will push our entrepreneurs to cut production in Canada and increase production south of the border and that means higher prices and fewer jobs for Canadians.”

In contrast, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that he would not only repeal the consumer carbon tax but also repeal the industrial carbon tax to reduce the inflationary effect of the federal levy.

“A common sense, Canada first Conservative government will repeal the entire carbon tax, including the federal backstop that requires provinces impose industrial taxes. There will be no taxes on consumers, no taxes on Canadian industries,” said Poilievre earlier in the campaign.

Poilievre said that a Conservative government would reduce carbon emissions by focusing on producing Canadian energy to displace oil and natural gas produced with higher emissions by other countries from the world market.