(833) 317-6278 
By: Victoria Wells
Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Posthaste: Carbon tax making life more expensive, Canadians say Posthaste: Carbon tax making life more expensive, Canadians say 40% of Canadians want to abolish the carbon tax, poll says Author of the article: Article content Posthaste: Carbon tax making life more expensive, Canadians say Back to video Many Canadians already squeezed by a high cost of living think the federal government's carbon tax is making their lives even more expensive. Advertisement 2 Article content Article content Two-thirds cite the carbon tax as an added financial burden they can't really afford, with 40 per cent saying it's costing them “a lot” while 26 per cent say it costs “a little,” according to a poll from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute. That comes as inflation and high interest rates pressure household budgets, putting affordability concerns front and centre. Half believe the government should focus on tackling the high cost of living over climate change, the poll said. Another 32 per cent think environmental policies should come first. Yet most think the carbon tax is a flawed policy when it comes to meeting Canada's climate goals. Sixty-eight per cent don't think the carbon tax helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions at all, while just 23 per cent think it's effective. Advertisement 3 Article content The poll comes as the federal Liberal government faces backlash over the tax, which is set to rise on April 1. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been leading the charge to abolish the levy with an “axe the tax” campaign, with the party trying to force an election last week over the issue. The Liberals survived the non-confidence vote. But though the tax remains deeply unpopular with many voters — 40 per cent want it gone completely — some Canadians are warming up to the planned increase, the poll found. The number of people who support raising the carbon price as planned on April 1 has grown by seven points since November, rising to 22 per cent from 15 per cent. Part of that increased support could be due to a boost in awareness over the federal government's carbon rebate program, Angus Reid said. More Canadians know they get a deposit in their bank accounts each quarter via the Canada Carbon Rebate, formerly known as the Climate Action Incentive Payment, with half saying they've seen the payment. That's up from 43 per cent in November. Advertisement 4 Article content Ottawa says the rebates more than cover the carbon tax paid by four in five households, but a lot of Canadians aren't convinced. Forty-five per cent believe they pay more in tax than they get back. Still, that's an increase from 54 per cent in November. The uptick in support for the carbon tax might not make much difference come voting time, however. The Conservative party leads voting intentions by almost two to one over the Liberals, and among Conservative voters, 75 per cent would get rid of the carbon tax, Angus Reid said. “The Liberal government's efforts to better brand and communicate the program may be helping, but is it too little, too late?” the report said. Sign up here to get Posthaste delivered straight to your inbox. Advertisement 5 Article content Fires from last year's record-breaking wildfire season are still smouldering under the snow in British Columbia and Alberta. The so-called “zombie fires” are a sign of a grim new normal that's wreaking havoc even in far northern countries like Canada: a fire season that almost never ends. B.C. had 90 zombie blazes still burning as of mid-March, while Alberta started the year with 64 fires carried over from 2023 — more than 10 times the five-year average. As spring temperatures melt snow and uncover land parched by drought, those fires and new ones are poised to flare up, posing a fresh threat to Canada's forests, not to mention the world's atmosphere. It's bad news for Canada's oil industry, too, which shut production equivalent to about 300,000 barrels of oil a day last year from the fires. This year, oil and gas producers are being warned to plan accordingly as drought conditions persist. Advertisement 6 Article content Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. will release its bi-annual Housing Supply Report. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make a housing announcement in advance of the 2024 Federal Budget in Vancouver. The Rick Hansen Foundation presents the Accessibility Professional Network conference. March 27-28. This two-day conference provides attendees with an opportunity to learn about the latest initiatives advancing accessibility through engagement with industry leaders from Canada and abroad. Earnings: Carnival Corp., Endeavour Mining PLC Advertisement 7 Article content There are many good things in taxation policy that have been eliminated over the years, including income averaging, tax expert Kim Moody says. He explains why it might be time to revisit the old lessons learned from income averaging provisions and make them new again. Are you worried about having enough for retirement? Do you need to adjust your portfolio? Are you wondering how to make ends meet? Drop us a line at [email protected] with your contact info and the general gist of your problem and we'll try to find some experts to help you out while writing a Family Finance story about it (we'll keep your name out of it, of course). If you have a simpler question, the crack team at FP Answers led by Julie Cazzin or one of our columnists can give it a shot. Advertisement 8 Article content McLister on mortgages Want to learn more about mortgages? Mortgage strategist Robert McLister's Financial Post column can help navigate the complex sector, from the latest trends to financing opportunities you won't want to miss. Read them here. Today's Posthaste was written by Victoria Wells , with additional reporting from Financial Post staff, The Canadian Press and Bloomberg. Have a story idea, pitch, embargoed report, or a suggestion for this newsletter? Email us at [email protected] Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the business news you need to know — add financialpost.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Posthaste: Carbon tax making life more expensive, Canadians say Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers
