Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s controversial carbon tax will increase the price of fossil fuels in Canada, but a new poll suggests it will do little else.
According to a new Ipsos poll, though most Canadians buy into Trudeau’s war on climate change, they also want to keep buying gas for their vehicles and don’t want to be taxed excessively to fight that war.
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) applaud as French minister of Ecology Nicolas Hulot (2ndR) and Canadian counterpart Catherine McKenna (2ndL) sign a ecology treaty at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Ap. 16, 2018. Ian Langsdon/Pool via Reuters
The survey revealed that whether or not they believe climate change is man-made and can be arrested through a reduction in fossil fuel use, only 19 percent of those polled said the issue was important enough to affect for whom they vote in the 2019 election. More respondents (30 percent) were worried about high taxes.
The Trudeau government’s carbon tax will affect the price of gas, propane and natural gas. Trudeau has offered a carbon tax rebate that the Official Opposition Conservatives ridiculed as another “election gimmick.”
Trudeau has dubbed his carbon tax a “price on pollution” of late — a concept criticized by those who say carbon is not pollution.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer asks questions in the House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont., Dec. 4, 2018. Global News screenshot
The survey suggests the current Canadian gas price of approximately $1.00/litre or about $4.25 a gallon (USD) is not enough of a financial incentive for Canadians to look at hybrid or electric cars as transportation alternatives. (RELATED Ontario Premier Trudeau Demanding More Emission Cuts For Paris Climate Accord)
But if gas prices were to double, more Canadians would consider ditching their current vehicles. But the poll also reveals that voters would probably ditch the current Liberal government if that happened because they are more concerned about high taxes.
“Given where the price of gas per liter is today, we’ve got an awful long way to go before people actually reach that price point that requires them to seriously consider another option,” Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Affairs, told Global News. (RELATED: As GM Plant Prepares To Close Trudeau Says Fighting Climate Change Will Save Jobs)
“The penalty that someone would face, particularly in the situation of a government increasing [the carbon tax] to a level that it would have to get to in order for people to consider another option, is probably something that would imperil them politically,” Bricker told Global.
The Ipsos poll was conducted from Dec. 7-12 and sampled 2,001 Canadians. It is considered accurate within plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.