Conservatives call for dropping gas tax and cutting “wasteful spending” to pay for it

By Canadian Press on April 2, 2026.

OTTAWA — The Conservative Party of Canada is calling for Ottawa to drop the federal tax on gas and diesel fuel for the rest of this year.

The Tories say their plan would eliminate the Fuel Excise Tax at 10 cents per litre, the Clean Fuel Standard at 7 cents per litre, and the Goods and Services Tax at 8 cents per litre.

Combined, they say the cuts would save Canadians 25 cents a litre.

After the year, the Conservatives say they would make the cut to the fuel standard tax permanent.

The party’s statement says Canadians are currently paying 20 per cent more than Americans are paying for gas. It notes that other countries have already taken action to lower gas prices by reducing fuel taxes, including Australia, Spain and Ireland.

To pay for the tax relief, the Conservatives say they would cut what they call the Liberals’ “wasteful spending on the gun buyback, bureaucracy, consultants, foreign aid, and boondoggles.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2026.

Rob Westgate, The Canadian Press