That's a very good point.
The carbon tax, of course, in many provinces, mine included here in Ontario, increased 10¢ a litre with HST in a period of 22 months, well beyond what would otherwise be an inflationary factor. We also know that the increase in the price itself, more than the carbon taxes but the actual increase in prices of gasoline, diesel, natural gas and heating oil, is affecting many parts of the country. Fully about three-quarters of Canadians who'd be caught by this, including those on fixed incomes, have seen prices go, from an average of about 65¢ or 70¢ a litre for diesel gasoline in 2020, at this time of year, so back to the beginning of the pandemic, to $1.13 a litre last year, and now $1.55 or $1.60.
In that period of time, beyond carbon taxes having that direct higher-than-inflation impact, you have a much higher price on which the federal and provincial governments take 5% at the federal level and anywhere from 7% to 9%, depending on the province and the further east you go into the Atlantic provinces. That's a windfall of money that I suspect will contribute to the hardship of Canadians as they try to struggle to get back on their feet. You don't have to take my word for it. MNP debt solutions says that over 40% of Canadians are less than $200 away from calling it a day financially.