Nearly half of Ontarians want to scrap the carbon tax, according to a poll

Nearly half of Ontarians say they would repeal the carbon tax if given the chance, a new poll shows.

A new Communications Strategy poll released this week, which surveyed 1,280 Ontarians, found that about 49 percent of residents support eliminating the carbon price, while about 27 percent think it should stay in place.

“When it comes to climate change and a carbon tax, Ontarians have mixed opinions, but 54 per cent say affordability and cost of living are more important than protecting the environment,” director David Valentine said in a statement.

Canada's carbon dioxide pollution price rose by $15 a tonne on April 1, amid a year-over-year increase.

The policy is designed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The federal government offers rebates to consumers as part of their tax returns.

When asked if they would still support eliminating the carbon tax if it meant eliminating the federal rebate associated with the program, the numbers are somewhat smaller.

About 41 percent of respondents were firm in their decision to withdraw from the program, while about 37 percent said they would keep it.

While most respondents believe Ontario's pollution levels are down compared to five years ago, only 21 per cent believe the province is doing its best to reduce them.

About 54 percent of respondents say the federal government is doing the most to reduce pollution, while about 65 percent say the provincial government is doing the least.

The poll comes as the federal Conservatives call for a televised meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the prime ministers, a proposal backed by the New Democratic Party to discuss the policy freeze.

It's important to note that provinces can adopt their own carbon pricing program to avoid the federal carbon tax, something the Ford government has refused to do.

The PC is still in the lead

If a provincial election were held today in Ontario, Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives would hang onto the leadership.

According to the poll, about 35 per cent said they would vote for the PCs, while 25 per cent said they would vote for the Ontario Liberal Party.

The Ontario NDP has about 15 per cent support, while the Green Party has four per cent support.

About 16 percent of respondents were undecided.

Methodology

The survey was conducted between April 6 and April 7 using interactive voice recordings. Responses were weighted by demographic and geographic information compared to the 2021 census. The margin of error is about plus or minus 2.74 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.