Ontario Premier Doug Ford insists he is still committed to campaign pledge to cut cost of gas by 10 cents a litre

TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford says that his government still intends to stick to a campaign promise to reduce the cost of gas by 10 cents a litre, even with the next provincial election now just seven months away.

Shortly after his government assumed office in 2018, Ford scrapped the cap-and-trade system in Ontario, which he says dropped the price of gas by 4.3 cents per litre.

But the move prompted the federal government to impose a carbon tax on the province almost immediately, effectively wiping away the savings.

Since then Ford has not taken any steps to reduce the price of gas further, despite costs skyrocketing at the pumps during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are going to keep our promise of the 10 cents; I just wish the federal government would fall in line as well,” Ford said during a press conference on Tuesday when asked whether he was still committed to the 2018 campaign pledge. “We are reducing costs and they keep jacking the costs up.”

The average price of regular gas in Toronto hit $1.47.9 on Wednesday, according to Canadians for Affordable Energy President Dan McTeague.

Worse still, McTeague has warned that prices could hit $2 per litre in some Canadian provinces within the next 13 months as a result of rising oil prices and the federal government’s soon to take effect Clean Fuel Standard.

Speaking with reporters, Ford called Ontario’s gas prices “out of control” and suggested that his government will find a way to reduce the cost at the pumps by a further 5.7 cents per litre.

But he said that the federal government needs to do its part as well.

“I am asking the federal government to stand shoulder to shoulder with us and reduce the gas tax. We will do our fair share. We have already done 4.3 cents and we will commit up towards the 10 cents inclusive of the 4.3 cents.” he said. “But give the folks a break because that is what drives up the cost on everything.”

In Ontario there are both federal and provincial taxes applied to the cost of gas at the pumps. Ten cents per litre goes to the federal excise tax and 8.8 cents per litre goes to the federal carbon tax. Meanwhile, 14.7 cents per litre goes to the Ontario fuel tax, as well as 13 per cent HST.