Oakville: Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford has announced that an Ontario PC Government will cut the price of gas by ten cents per litre. These savings will be achieved by eliminating the Liberal/NDP cap-and-trade scheme, reducing Ontario’s provincial fuel tax, and stopping the Liberal/NDP carbon tax.
“These are real savings that will lower the cost of filling-up your car and leave more money in your pocket, while at the same time supporting families and businesses by keeping the costs of goods and services low,” said Ford. “Ours is the only Party that understands that gas is an absolute necessity that not only gets people around, but also fuels our economy.”
On Wednesday, he addressed his supporters at a Mississauga convention centre and he later tweeted: “It’s time to paint Mississauga blue.”
Earlier, in a statement, he said: High gas prices have been shown to have negative impacts on the economy, increasing the cost of transporting everyday items such as food products families buy at the grocery store, as well as increasing costs on other goods and services. Lower income individuals and families tend to be negatively affected the most by rising gas prices as they have less money to spend on other necessities, and often go further into debt as a result.
Ford highlighted how Kathleen Wynne’s cap-and-trade scheme, supported by Andrea Horwath’s NDP, is already adding 4.3 cents per litre at the pump. He also highlighted that the cap-and-trade price-tag is projected to grow by an additional 428 per cent which, on its own, will add 23 cents per litre to the price Ontario drivers pay for gas.
“For an average driver, that’s an additional $500 a year for gas alone — just to pay for Wynne’s cap-and-trade scheme,” said Ford. “If you need to drive a car to get to work, to school, or to pick up your kids from daycare, the Liberals and the NDP will have their hands in your pocket every time you fill up your car.”
Ford highlighted that the Liberals and NDP are following the example of British Columbia, which was the first jurisdiction in Canada to impose a carbon tax, and where gas prices have already soared to $1.61 per litre – the highest price ever paid by drivers anywhere in North America.
“Make no mistake, one of the biggest things the Liberals and NDP agree on is imposing new tax-grabbing schemes on Ontario families and businesses,” said Ford. “The Ontario PC Party is the only Party who can stop the Liberals and NDPs plans to soar gas prices to $2.00 per litre,” concluded Ford.
• Gas prices across the province are soaring. Prices in Toronto recently hit a 4-year high,which, unde rstandably, does not sit well with drivers throughout Ontario.
• Under the Liberals, this scheme is only beginning. Cap-and-trade is currently at $18 per tonne. However, it is expected to rise to $95 per tonne by 2030, according to carbon pricing experts at the environmental research firm, ICF. That’s a 428 per cent increase.
• Gas prices are higher because of Kathleen Wynne’s cap-and-trade scheme. With the incoming 428 per cent increase, cap and trade will cost taxpayers an extra 22.7 cents per litre at the pump – an economic burden Ontarians should not accept.
In response, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne touted transit promises on Thursday. Speaking in Ottawa, Wynne cast doubt Thursday on the impacts of Ford’s pledge, given that global forces tend to be the largest factor in gas prices.
“I know he’s saying that he’ll take 10 cents out _ we know that most people won’t feel that,’’ she said. “The reality is that the prices fluctuate _ vastly, wildly.’’
Municipalities receive two cents per litre from the provincial gas tax, and that money is earmarked for transit funding. The Liberal government announced last year that they would increase it in 2019 to 2.5 cents a litre, and up to four cents by 2021 _ increases the Tories would maintain.
Horwath spoke about how an NDP government would fund half of the operating costs of municipal transit. She highlighted her Toronto-focused promises outside a subway station, saying she would also prioritize building a downtown relief line to relieve subway overcrowding.
She, too, took a swipe at Ford’s promise.
“Mr. Ford again has not been clear with people about what the impacts of his announcements that he makes are,’’ Horwath said. “And I look forward to the day when we can actually see a firm plan laid out by Mr. Ford. At this point, we haven’t seen it and I think people deserve so much better than that.’’
Ford has not yet released a fully costed platform, except saying that a ‘A Doug Ford Ontario PC Government will scrap the cap-and-trade carbon tax and cancel Kathleen Wynne’s cap-and-trade slush fund.’
He also said the Ontario PCs will challenge, in the Supreme Court of Canada, any attempt by the federal government to impose a carbon tax on Ontario families.
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Facing criticism for suggesting Ontario has to “take care of our own’’ before pushing for immigrants to move to northern Ontario, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford repeatedly refused to explain his comments, instead saying he is supportive of new Canadians and immigration.
At a news conference Saturday, Ford was asked four times to explain what he meant by the remarks, but would not elaborate. Instead, he slammed his opponents for seizing upon the remarks he made at the northern issues leader’s debate Friday.
“My opponents are playing politics _ you know that,’’ Ford said. “There’s no politician that probably has more support out there for new Canadians. Ford Nation’s full of new Canadians.’’
“We take care of new Canadians,’’ Ford said. “We take care of immigrants coming to this country.
‘T hey call me personally on my phone. If you they have credentials from other countries, we will make sure that we do everything in our power … to recognize those credentials and speed up the process.’’