Federal clean fuel regulations will hit rural, low-income Canadians hardest

Photo: Contributed

Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

Last week, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) released their latest report, titled A Distributional Analysis of the Clean Fuel Regulations.

The regulations require liquid fossil fuel (gasoline and diesel) suppliers to reduce the amount of pollution from the fuels they produce and sell for use in Canada over time.

The PBO issued the report to calculate how much money these new fuel regulations will cost Canadians. According to the PBO, at the national level, in 2030, the cost of the Clean Fuel Regulations to households will range from 0.62 percent of disposable income (or $231) for lower-income households to 0.35 percent of disposable income (or $1,008) for higher-income households."

The PBO concludes the regulations will significantly impact lower-income households, who spend a larger share of their income on transportation and other energy-intensive goods and services.

Concerns remain about how these regulations, along with the carbon tax, will penalize those who live in rural communities and who are forced to do more driving due to fewer local services, like health care, and limited public transit options.

Also back in Ottawa, the prime minister's appointed special rapporteur, David Johnston, recommended against a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian democracy.

The prime minister quickly accepted there should be no public inquiry into foreign interference in our elections, despite support for such an inquiry from all opposition parties.

Lastly, with Parliament set to rise in June, I will soon begin my annual summer listening tour.

Since I was elected as san MP, every summer I have use the tour to hear (constituent’s) concerns throughout the riding, which is home to a diverse set of communities and people.

If you would like to schedule a meeting during my summer listening tour, please get in touch with me by email or through my toll-free number below.

My question to you this week:

Do you support the new fuel regulations, considering the high cost of gasoline and the escalating carbon tax?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll-free 1-800-665-8711.

Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.