NDP said Tuesday while Canadians are getting gouged at the pumps with record high gas prices – in Vancouver gas prices have skyrocketed to over 2 dollars per litre, the Liberals and Conservatives are standing firm with rich oil companies. “People in Vancouver are getting gouged at the pumps, but also seeing massive increases to the cost of groceries and housing,” said NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East). “People need more money in their pockets so that they can pay their bills. The NDP’s proposal would have helped families by reinvesting the billions of dollars that the Liberals are giving in fossil fuel subsidies into doubling the GST tax credit and Canada Child Benefit – giving back between $500 and $1000 to Canadian families.”

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

VANCOUVER – NDP said Tuesday while Canadians are getting gouged at the pumps with record high gas prices – in Vancouver gas prices have skyrocketed to over 2 dollars per litre, the Liberals and Conservatives are standing firm with rich oil companies. 

Despite the increasing costs, last week the Liberals and Conservatives teamed up to vote down an NDP proposal to stop giving billions of taxpayer dollars to profitable oil and gas companies and instead reinvest that money in Canadians struggling to make ends meet.

“People in Vancouver are getting gouged at the pumps, but also seeing massive increases to the cost of groceries and housing,” said NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East). “People need more money in their pockets so that they can pay their bills. The NDP’s proposal would have helped families by reinvesting the billions of dollars that the Liberals are giving in fossil fuel subsidies into doubling the GST tax credit and Canada Child Benefit – giving back between $500 and $1000 to Canadian families.”

The NDP’s motion called on the government to cancel all fossil fuel subsidies by the end of this year – including the new Carbon Capture Tax Credit – and reinvest this money to help people with growing costs and improve renewable energy. New Democrats also urged the Liberal government to double the GST tax credit and increase the Canada Child Benefit, putting money into 12 million families’ pockets.

“Last week the government chose to keep giving billions of public dollars to profitable oil and gas companies and the Conservatives supported that choice,” said NDP MP Don Davies (Vancouver – Kingsway). “When times are tough, people pay the price – not wealthy corporations. We think that’s wrong. New Democrats will always fight for Canadian families, instead of protecting the profits of big oil and gas.”