Mr. Speaker, we are here today to discuss a Conservative proposal aimed at supporting Canadians in the face of the ongoing energy crisis in the Middle East.
In short, we are proposing that the House call on the government to adopt the Conservative plan to save Canadians not 10¢, but 25¢ per litre by eliminating federal taxes on gasoline and diesel for the remainder of 2026. To support Canadians, we are calling on the government to take immediate, concrete and responsible action to put money back in the pockets of our youth, our families, our workers, our seniors and our industries.
Our proposal includes four immediate tax-relief measures:
(a) removing the Fuel Excise Tax for the remainder of 2026, which costs Canadians 10 cents-a-litre; (b) removing the GST on gasoline and diesel for the remainder of 2026, which costs Canadians 8 cents-a-litre; (c) permanently removing the Fuel Standards tax, which costs Canadians 7 cents-a-litre; and (d) permanently removing the industrial carbon tax, which will rise to $170 a tonne, and is projected to shrink the economy by 1.3 per cent and lead to 50,000 job losses.
All told, this would allow Canadians to save around 25¢ per litre of gas, which means $20 every time a parent fills up the minivan, or more than $1,200 a year for a family. These are immediate steps the government can take to ease the pressure on our constituents. In addition, our plan will save businesses and workers around 21¢ per litre of diesel, providing relief in an already difficult economic climate. This will allow businesses to retain their employees and remain competitive.
This will also help consumers, who will end up paying the price if nothing is done to curb rising fuel prices, which will force suppliers to raise their prices. This means higher grocery prices, higher housing costs, and higher fuel costs for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
After years of inflation, high taxes and rising costs, Canadians have tightened their belts enough. It is time for a change. It is time for this Liberal government to cut taxes in response to the current energy crisis.
While gas prices have risen sharply across Canada and elsewhere in the world, the biggest winner right now is the government. It is estimated that there will be an exceptional, unanticipated and unbudgeted tax windfall of $9 billion in total. That is $9 billion that will swell the federal coffers.
I unequivocally believe that these additional tax revenues should be returned to taxpayers, the people in our communities who work hard every day. That is why the Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to use $5 billion of the estimated $9 billion in additional revenue to eliminate all federal taxes on gasoline and diesel. To be clear, the federal government will collect more revenue from the higher oil prices than it would cost to suspend the fuel tax for the rest of the year. If it is going to make billions of dollars more from higher oil prices, the least it can do is give that money back to Canadian families and business owners.
We saw that this morning. Once again, the Liberal government stole a Conservative proposal. However, according to the Conservatives' strong affordability plan, the government only came up with a half-measure, which is no surprise. If we look at the numbers, the Conservatives proposed to completely eliminate all federal fuel taxes. That measure would put 25¢ a litre back into the pockets of Canadians. The Liberals had every option but they chose to eliminate only the excise tax, which is a cut of 10¢ a litre. That is 15¢ a litre less than our proposal. The Liberal proposal is a cut of 10¢ a litre for four months, while we were proposing a cut of 25¢ a litre for the rest of this year.
When it comes to diesel, the gap is even wider. Our proposal provides 21¢ in relief to the truckers and farmers who keep our economy running. Do not forget that farmers work 365 days a year and are on call 24 hours a day. Farmers are the ones who put breakfast, lunch and dinner on our plates. We need to give them the level of support that matches the responsibility they bear of feeding Canadians. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all farmers.
A Conservative government will significantly reduce the diesel tax for farmers, as our proposal is 17¢ per litre lower than the government proposal. The government has deliberately chosen to keep Canadians' hard-earned money here in Ottawa. We called for these taxes to be eliminated until the end of the year to allow families of four to save approximately $1,200 per year. However, the Liberals chose to end this relief on September 7—four months earlier than in our plan.
Canadians have a right to know that the Liberals have reduced the cost of fuel by only 10¢. The Liberals forgot to mention the reality at the pumps: Canadians are still paying 15¢ per litre for gas and 17¢ per litre for diesel in taxes alone. These taxes could be reduced to help ordinary folks get through this energy crisis.
Some things are outside Canada's control. We cannot control the U.S President, what is happening in Iran or global energy prices. However, Canada has the power to shape its own destiny right here at home. That means removing internal trade barriers, cutting red tape and putting Canadians first. That said, the Liberal government had the full power to lower the cost of gas for Canadians, the full power to axe all the taxes it charges at the pumps and the full power to support Canadians and make life more affordable.
To wrap up, I have many questions. Why will the Liberals not adopt our entire plan to axe all federal taxes on gas and diesel? Why will the Liberals not take action to help Canadians save 25¢ per litre of gas? Why will the Liberals not take action to help families of four save $1,200 by the end of this year? These are important questions that Canadians in my riding and across the country are asking day after day.