Calgary drivers experienced less pain at the pumps Tuesday as a promised carbon tax cut immediately lowered gas prices at stations across the city. Read More
While the price break was welcomed, some drivers remained skeptical
While the price break was welcomed, some drivers remained skeptical
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Calgary drivers experienced less pain at the pumps Tuesday as a promised carbon tax cut immediately lowered gas prices at stations across the city.
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One of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first moves after taking office last month was to scrap the contentious consumer carbon tax, effective April 1.
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Drivers who waited until Tuesday morning to fill up were the first to benefit from the pre-election pledge that cut at least 17 cents off.
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And while the price break was welcomed, some drivers remained skeptical.
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“I think it’s going to be temporary,” said Roger Kawohl, who was filling his tank at $1.38 per litre in northeast Calgary.
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“It doesn’t matter what Carney says. He took it off the consumer, but he’s going to tax big businesses, which is going to pass it on to us. So, gas is going to go back up. When, is the question.”
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The average price in the city for regular unleaded gasoline was $1.50 per litre, according to Statistics Canada. In contrast, gas stations around the city were averaging from as low as $1.35 to $1.40 on Tuesday, according to GasBuddy.com.
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The consumer carbon tax, long a target of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, has increased yearly since it was first imposed in 2019.
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Ginette Simonot appreciated the lower fuel price but said she didn’t have strong feelings about the tax.
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“Honestly, I thought if it maybe helped us get into a better environmental position, it was fine,” she said.
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“It’s always nice when gas prices go down. We’ve gotten usually so high that when it goes down a little bit, you fill up and you take advantage.”
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Others found Tuesday’s dramatic price drop inconsequential after prices had already spiked in recent weeks.
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Charts on GasBuddy.com show prices jumped from $1.43 in early March to $1.56 and higher by March 30.
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“False sense of security. I don’t know. It’s just a matter of time until they go back up,” said Calgary driver Eric Marchuk.
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“It’d be nice if they kept dropping for sure. If they’re going to follow the same patterns that the states that are going then we can finish this pipeline going to the east, maybe even start refining our own oil. That would make most sense.”
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Marchuk said he does not intend on voting Liberal, and the cut had no influence on his vote in the federal election.
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The price drop was a big deal for Tom Barkley, who commutes 100 kilometres a day from Mountain View County. “I didn’t like (the carbon tax), and I’m glad it’s gone,” he said.