Conservatives call for lower gas tax and cuts to ‘wasteful spending’ to pay for it

By Sarah Ritchie and David Baxter The Conservative Party of Canada is calling on Ottawa to drop the federal tax on gas and diesel fuel for the rest of the year. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday that lifting the Fuel Excise Tax, Clean Fuel Standard and GST surcharges from gas and diesel would save about 25 cents a litre. Poilievre estimated the resulting reduction in tax revenue at $5.25 billion. The party said it would permanently eliminate the Clean Fuel Standard after 2026. Poilievre said affordable energy is the “lifeblood” of a strong economy. He said that in order to cover the cost of the tax cut, the government should terminate a handful of programs and call off some planned projects, including the proposed high speed rail line between…

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