Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Ottawa to extend federal fuel tax relief to July 1, 2027, and to scrap several environmental policies he says push up the cost of diesel.
Poilievre outlined what his party calls an Emergency Fuel Relief Plan on Sept. 27 at a gas station in suburban Ottawa, according to CP24. He repeated the diesel push in the House of Commons on Oct. 5, as MPs returned from their break, CP24 reported.
“When farmers and truckers pay more, the price gets passed on to you,” Poilievre said, according to Narcity. “Why aren’t we using our oil to power our people?”
The plan would extend the federal fuel excise tax suspension to July 1, 2027, remove GST from fuel purchases, permanently end the federal industrial carbon tax on diesel production, scrap the Clean Fuel Standard and exempt refineries from the federal impact assessment process, according to CP24 and Narcity. The Conservatives said refineries would still have to meet federal pollution, wastewater and monitoring rules, as well as provincial environmental laws and permits, Narcity reported.
The Conservatives also want emergency permits to boost domestic diesel output and a strategic energy reserve, CP24 reported on Oct. 5.
Canada produces enough diesel to meet its own demand, but transportation bottlenecks mean some regions rely on U.S. imports, according to CP24 and Narcity.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office had no immediate comment on the proposals, both outlets reported.
The federal government’s current schedule is shorter than what the Conservatives want. Ottawa suspended the fuel excise tax earlier this year and has extended the suspension through January 2027, according to CP24. The tax then returns at 50 per cent of the regular rate until the end of March 2027. Narcity gave a slightly different year for the original suspension, so readers should check the Department of Finance for the exact start date.
Canada News Media has previously reported on that timeline, including why Feb. 1 is the date to watch for drivers. See our earlier explainer on the gas tax return date.
For households, the practical difference between the two plans is about five months of relief at the pump, from February to July 2027. Diesel matters beyond truck stops because it moves groceries, building materials and farm goods, which is why Poilievre framed the issue around supply-chain costs.
The proposal to scrap the Clean Fuel Standard and loosen impact assessments for refineries is likely to draw opposition from environmental groups and from the Liberal government, which has tied its resource strategy to emissions targets. Neither the government nor environmental groups had responded to the plan in the coverage reviewed for this story.
Any change would need a vote in Parliament, where the Liberal government controls the agenda. Canadian drivers and trucking companies will be watching whether the Feb. 1 partial return of the tax is adjusted before it arrives.
The story is developing, and the Conservative proposals are not government policy.
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Via CP24. Additional reporting: Narcity and CP24, Oct. 5.
