Continued gas tax cuts would save households $320 on average since 2022
A News Release from the Ontario Conservative Government of Doug Ford with a Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper
Posted March 25th, 2024 on Niagara At Large
A Foreword by Doug Draper, reporter/publisher, NAL –
I have said it before and how said it is that I feel an urgency to say it here again!
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, visiting one of many flood-ravaged communities in the province during his government’s first term in office. Did anything sink in?
When it comes to advancing energy and transportation policies that a address a climate crisis that is wreaking ever more havoc on our health and property (not to mention the diversity of life we need to survive on this planet), we have a Premier in Ontario who is still spinning his wheels back in the 1950s.
If you don’t believe me, allow me to post – for your edification – the News Release below my commentary here rom Doug Ford’s Conservative government to make my case.
I can only read this latest News Release from the Fort Govenrment and say heere we are again – almost halfway through the second decade of the 21st Century – with the Premier and his toddies with going no further than extending gas and other carbon fuel cuts for another nine months to, as Ford puts it, “provide relief at the pumps and put hundreds of dollars back into peoples’ pockets.”
Sounds good, doesn’t it? And there is little doubt in this aging environment reporter’s mind that many people will feel that way until the next episodes of life-threatening heat waves and wild fires, wind storms and floods that cause billions of dollars of damage and destruction to property and to the production cost of food we put on our tables come along.
Does this Premier and all the other climate laggards in his governing party ever stop to think that at a time of growing climate crisis, one of the last things we need is cuts on gas and other carbon fuels that encourage the continued driving of cars and trucks on ever more roads and highways?
If we don’t take more action, scientists are warning that desvastating wildfires like this one, in Northern Ontario this past 2023, are going to become more frequent, destroying more of our natural heritage and posing a greater threat to our respiratory systems.
Why is Ford not working harder than it claims it is now to fund more affordable public transit systems, and encourage as many of us as possible to use it?
How about giving more support to people who found they liked working working at home during the recent pandemic rather than driving whatever distance to an office to continue working at home as one way of potentially achieving significant savings on gas? Indeed, there are records of how much cleaner our air was of climate-ravaging carbon pollution when, during the pandemic, large numbers of people were working at home?
Shortly after coming into office, the Ford government tore up hundreds of contracts that would move the province to more renewable energy technologies like this.
How about doing more to support renewable energy sources like wind and solar instead of ripping hundreds of contracts to expand clean energy facilities that are already proving, in other regions of the world, to produced countless thousands of good-paying jobs?
How about working with municipalities and developers across the province to build communities that are friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists rather than continue to use our tax dollars to subsidies low-density sprawl?
I could go on and on, but do I really have too?
How about a right to a quality future life for younger generations? Is cheaper gas at the pump worth compromising that?
Repeating all of the above over and over again is getting tiring but I push myself to do it for my young daughter and her friends who will suffer the most if we continue down the road Doug Ford and his party of climate laggards insist on taking us.
It is going to take as many of us as possible to push governments to take real, effective action to deal with the climate crisis. – Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
P.S. – By the way, here’s hoping that our Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradly and his delegation of regional councillors work to get answers and action on at least some of the questions I’ve raised when they meet with Ford representatives during this spring’s Niagara Week at Queen’s Park.
That, I believe, is what we are paying them for.
Now here is the Ford government’s news release –
Toronto, Ontario – To continue keeping costs down for families and businesses, the Ontario government is introducing proposed legislation through its spring 2024 Budget that would, if passed, extend the existing gasoline and fuel tax rate cuts until December 31, 2024.
For Ontario Premier Doug Ford, it has always been about guzzling gas and expanding highways to accommodate more and more trucks and cars.
“With the federal government about to increase its costly carbon tax, it’s never been more important to provide relief at the pumps and put hundreds of dollars back into peoples’ pockets. That is why we are extending our gas tax cut,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I urge the federal government to join us by scrapping its planned 23 per cent carbon tax hike on April 1, which will only make life more expensive for hardworking Ontario families.”
The Ontario government temporarily cut the gasoline tax by 5.7 cents per litre, and the fuel (diesel) tax by 5.3 cents per litre, from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024. Today’s announcement would ensure the rates remain at 9 cents per litre until December 31, 2024, saving Ontario households $320 on average over the two and a half years since the tax rate cuts were first introduced.
“Our government understands that high inflation and interest rates are hurting Ontario workers and their hard-earned paycheques,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “That’s why we acted early to keep costs down and will continue to support Ontario families at the pump with our latest gas tax cuts.”
The proposed extension to the gasoline and fuel tax rate cuts builds on the government’s additional measures to help put more money back into people’s pockets, including:
Eliminating the licence plate renewal fee in March 2022, saving the average household $600 to date.
Banning new road tolls on 400-series highways in Ontario and permanently freezing driver’s licence and photo card fees, saving drivers an estimated $66 million over the next five years.
Launching One Fare, which will save daily riders on participating systems an average of $1,600 each year
Introducing legislation that, if passed, would give Ontario voters a veto over a new provincial carbon tax, cap-and-trade system or other carbon pricing program.
Ending the Drive Clean Program, saving taxpayers over $40 million every year.
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