Axe the taxes this summer

By Martin Shields Member of Parliament Bow River Riding

After nine years of Justin Trudeau, Canadians are being forced to cancel their summer vacations as the Liberals’ tax-and-spend agenda has made even a simple camping trip unaffordable. Parents can barely afford basic necessities, much less a summer vacation. 

In the middle of this historic cost-of-living crisis, Trudeau and his NDP coalition partners decided to hike the carbon tax by 23 per cent. This is just one step in his plan to quadruple the carbon tax over the next six years, making everything more expensive at the worst possible time. In fact, since Trudeau became Prime Minister, gas prices have surged by more than 50 per cent.

Families will have to pay $700 more for food this year than they did in 2023. Last year, food banks had to handle a record 2 million visits in a single month, with a million more visits expected in 2024. Homeless encampments are common in every city across Canada. 

Justin Trudeau may be able to jet set off on a $230,000 taxpayer paid, luxury vacation, but most Canadians are having to scale back or cancel their summer plans after Trudeau’s carbon tax made gas and groceries unaffordable. 

The independent Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that most families pay more in the carbon tax that they receive in the rebate. This year, Trudeau’s carbon tax will cost Albertans an extra $2,943. 

Common Sense Conservatives are calling on Trudeau to give Canadians a summer break by axing the carbon tax, the gas tax, and GST between Victoria Day and Labour Day so families can afford a simple summer vacation. This would save Albertans $955 this summer. 

Conservatives will axe the tax on everything for everyone in a carbon tax election, but until that can happen, Trudeau must adopt this commonsense measure to give Canadians a summer break.

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