Canadians Overwhelmingly Reject Trudeau’s Carbon Tax as Cost-of-Living Crisis Deepens
A recent poll conducted by Leger on behalf of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has revealed that two-thirds of Canadians want the federal government to suspend the carbon tax immediately. This overwhelming sentiment reflects growing frustration with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s radical climate policies, which have burdened Canadian families at a time when they are struggling to afford basic necessities. The poll findings underscore the widening disconnect between Trudeau’s ideological climate crusade and the financial realities facing Canadians.
The Leger poll found that 64% of Canadians support suspending the carbon tax, with nearly 40% strongly supporting the move. Even among Liberal, NDP, Bloc Quebecois, and Green Party voters, the majority favor suspending the tax, highlighting broad-based dissatisfaction. Opposition to the tax remains low across party lines, with only 19% of respondents opposing a suspension.
Despite the clear public consensus, Trudeau continues to champion the carbon tax as part of his vision to “save the world” from climate change. However, Canadians are now poorer than they were when he first took office, and they simply cannot afford to bankroll his radical climate agenda. The cost of groceries, rent, and fuel has skyrocketed, and yet Trudeau insists that struggling families should put climate change at the top of their priorities.
Trudeau’s arrogance was on full display at the recent Global Citizen Now event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Traveling 8,280 kilometers at taxpayers’ expense, he stood on a stage and lectured Canadians about their “moral responsibility” to fight climate change, even as they struggle to put food on the table.
“It’s really easy when you’re in a short-term survive, I gotta be able to pay the rent this month, I’ve gotta be able to buy groceries for my kids, to say, OK, let’s put climate change as a slightly lower priority,” Trudeau said. “When the storm comes, you want to hunker down and just sort of huddle up and wait for it to blow over. We can’t do that around climate change.”
His remarks were an insult to hardworking Canadians who are forced to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families. Trudeau’s glee in sacrificing struggling citizens for his grand climate ambitions is nothing short of narcissistic. It is easy to preach about climate action from a luxury hotel in Rio while Canadians at home are freezing in the winter due to unaffordable heating costs.
Trudeau’s resignation announcement has set the stage for a fierce Liberal leadership race, and even his potential successors are acknowledging the unpopularity of the carbon tax. All three front-runners—Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, and Karina Gould—have hinted at modifying or freezing the tax, signaling a desperate attempt to regain voter trust.
Freeland, who as Finance Minister repeatedly increased the carbon tax, is now promising to eliminate the consumer portion of the tax. Gould has pledged to freeze it at current levels, while Carney has reportedly told Liberal MPs in private that he would repeal the consumer price altogether. However, Canadians remain skeptical. Another Leger poll found that 51% of Canadians do not believe a new Liberal leader will follow through on eliminating the tax, highlighting the deep distrust in Trudeau’s party.
Trudeau and his Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, continue to argue that carbon pricing is essential for reducing emissions. However, newly released internal government data, which Trudeau’s team initially attempted to suppress, confirms that the carbon tax is harming the economy.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the carbon tax will reduce Canada’s real GDP by $25 billion by 2030, a 0.92% decline. This aligns with previous findings from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), who estimated that the carbon tax would negatively impact the economy by 1.3%.
For months, the Liberals resisted releasing this data, even attempting to gag the PBO from discussing it. The government only relented after relentless pressure from the opposition, proving that Trudeau’s administration was actively concealing the economic damage caused by its policies.
With the Conservatives leading in the polls at 43%, compared to the Liberals’ 25%, it is clear that opposition to the carbon tax will be a central issue in the next federal election. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has made it clear that repealing the tax will be a top priority under his leadership.
CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano has urged the government to act immediately. “The Conservatives say they will scrap the carbon tax, and even Liberals are talking about scrapping the carbon tax, so if the next prime minister is getting rid of it, there’s no reason for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to punish Canadians with one more carbon tax bill,” he said.
As Trudeau’s failed climate policies come under increasing scrutiny, his legacy will likely be remembered as one of economic hardship and government overreach. The grand experiment of forcing Canadians to bear the brunt of climate action, regardless of their financial well-being, is crumbling. The question now is whether the next government will listen to Canadians and finally put an end to this economically damaging tax.
Trudeau’s carbon tax experiment has failed. Canadians have spoken loud and clear—they want relief now. As economic struggles continue to mount, Trudeau’s legacy will be defined not by saving the planet, but by ignoring the suffering of his own citizens. The overwhelming demand to suspend the carbon tax marks a turning point in Canadian politics, and the next government will need to decide whether to continue Trudeau’s disastrous policies or finally put Canadians first.