Gas prices rose to over $2 per litre in many stations in Montreal on Thursday, April 2, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
By Sarah Ritchie and David Baxter
The Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to give Canadians some relief at the pumps by suspending federal taxes on gas and diesel 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 consumers about 25 cents a litre.
That cut, he said, would amount to savings of “about $20 a fill-up, and $1,200 for the average family of four between now and the end of the year.”
Poilievre said prices have risen by about 35 per cent in recent months, and noted that gas is selling for more than $2 per litre in Quebec.
“Now, to be clear and to be fair, the recent increase in gas prices is the result of the war in Iran, but the long-term high costs in Canada are the result of Liberal taxes,” he said.
Oil prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The conflict has cut off flows of crude through the critical Strait of Hormuz and shut down energy production across parts of the Middle East.
- 0120 2026 SK oil show attendee0120 2026 SK oil show attendee
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0119 Steffes Group System III Ltd Complete Dispersal P0119 Steffes Group System III Ltd Complete Dispersal P
- 0117 Turnbull 40 years0117 Turnbull 40 years
- 0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that the U.S. will continue its strikes on Iran for the next two or three weeks. That statement caused U.S. crude oil prices to jump on Thursday to more than US$110 a barrel.
Poilievre said Canadians are paying 20 per cent more for gasoline than American consumers, due to a combination of taxes and a weaker Canadian dollar.
He said affordable energy is the “lifeblood” of a strong economy, and pointed out that countries such as Australia, Spain and Ireland already have taken action to lower gas prices by reducing fuel taxes.
“The lower the better,” he said. “Every penny that we can get reduced in taxes is a penny in the pocket of the people that earned it.
“It’s time to have the government pinch its pennies, so Canadians don’t have to.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked Tuesday if he was considering some kind of reduction to gas taxes. He said the government is “following it closely” and watching to see whether oil prices remain high.
He also said the spring fiscal update “would be the right time to fully answer that question.” A date for that update has not been announced.
John Fragos, a spokesperson for the Office of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, said in an email the government is “closely monitoring” the surge in oil prices brought on by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and its implications for the cost of living.
“We are continually assessing measures and policies to support Canadians in this volatile period, while looking at ways to immediately alleviate urgent downstream price shocks and make life more affordable,” Fragos said.
- 0120 2026 SK oil show attendee0120 2026 SK oil show attendee
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0119 Steffes Group System III Ltd Complete Dispersal P0119 Steffes Group System III Ltd Complete Dispersal P
- 0117 Turnbull 40 years0117 Turnbull 40 years
- 0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
NDP MP Gord Johns said he’s been hosting town halls in his riding and is hearing from people that they want relief from high prices. He also said constituents are telling him they want the oil and gas companies to cover the cost of that relief.
“All of those big oil companies were already recording record profits before the war and are sure to pocket even more,” Johns said in an email.
Poilievre estimated his proposal would cost the government some $5.25 billion in tax revenue.
To cover that, he said, the government should terminate a handful of programs and call off some planned projects, including the proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City.
“End the $90-billion Alto train disaster, cut back on consultants, bureaucracy, handouts to fake refugees, foreign aid and bureaucracy. Get rid of the multi-billion dollar gun grab that targets law abiding hunters, farmers and sport shooters,” Poilievre said.
Alto, the Crown corporation overseeing the project, estimates the full cost of the 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail line at between $60 and $90 billion, with a completion date in 2037. Construction of the first phase of the line, linking Montreal and Ottawa, is set to begin in 2029 or 2030.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2026.
- 0120 2026 SK oil show attendee0120 2026 SK oil show attendee
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0119 Steffes Group System III Ltd Complete Dispersal P0119 Steffes Group System III Ltd Complete Dispersal P
- 0117 Turnbull 40 years0117 Turnbull 40 years
- 0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001