The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the federal government must provide immediate tax relief following a Statistics Canada report which revealed that annual inflation grew by almost 7 percent.
Consumer prices increased by 6.9 percent year-over-year, according to Statistics Canada. The price of groceries grew by 11.4 percent, marking the highest annual growth since August 1981.
CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said politicians are “asleep at the wheel” while Canadians can’t afford groceries.
“Politicians in other countries are making life more affordable, but Canadian politicians are hiking taxes,” Terrazzano said in a statement.
Ottawa recently increased alcohol taxes, payroll taxes, and gas taxes. As well, the federal government will impose a second carbon tax through fuel regulations beginning in July 2023.
By removing the federal fuel tax, the government could save a family around $20 every time they fuel up their minivan, according to the CTF.
A recent Ipsos poll found that 72 percent of Canadians think they pay too much in taxes.
The CTF recently identified 51 national governments that provided tax relief during the pandemic or to ease the cost of inflation, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, New Zealand, South Korea, and the UK.
“Other countries are providing their citizens with relief while Ottawa sticks Canadians with higher bills,” Terrazzano said. “Our politicians need to get off their butts, stop wasting so much money and cut taxes now.”
