By Andrew Macdonald
- MacPolitics: Robo Calls from Pierre Poilievre Inviting Folks To His ‘Spike The Hike- Axe The Tax’
Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre has been making robo-calls to Haligonians.
His robo-call invites folks to his pre-election campaign rally being held today (Sunday, March 17th, 2024) on the Halifax Waterfront. The rally venue is the Harbourfront Marriott Hotel.
It begins today at 1:30 p.m..
His party bills the rally as a “’Spike the Hike – Axe the Tax’ rally. Other than axing the carbon tax, and getting rid of the CBC, I am not entirely sure what Poilievre stands for if elected prime minister.
But it is significant Poilievre is in the battleground seat of Halifax. Talk to Tories on the ground and they think the Tories for the first time since 1984 will be in contention in Halifax in the next election.
It could be a wide-open seat if current MP Andy Fillmore runs for Mayor of Halifax. The NDP has nominated Lisa Roberts as the standard-bearer. A former Halifax Northend MLA she is seen as strong.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has sounded alarms over another carbon tax on gasoline fuels set for April 1st. The same date Members of Parliament get an automatic pay raise.
April 1st, is also the date that beer prices go up 2 per cent, part of the Excise tax. It is a lot better than the original 4.7% price hike.
The federal taxpayers’ watchdog “is calling on the federal government to scrap its plan to increase the carbon tax and alcohol taxes while also hiking salaries for Members of Parliament on April 1.”
“In one month, the feds will make like more expensive with another round of tax hikes,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Canadians are still struggling to afford basic necessities, so Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be providing relief, not hiking taxes.”
The federal carbon tax will increase to 17 cents per litre of gasoline, 21 cents per litre of diesel and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas on April 1. The carbon tax will cost the average family up to $911 a year even after the rebates, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
MPs also take pay raises each year on April 1. The CTF estimates this year’s pay raise will range from an extra $8,100 for a backbench MP to an extra $16,200 for the prime minister, based on contract data published by the government of Canada.
“The very same day MPs take more money out of Canadians’ pockets they’ll be stuffing more into their own and that’s wrong,” Terrazzano said. “MPs don’t deserve raises when they make life more expensive with tax hikes.”
National Tory leader, Pierre Poilievre holding a lobster with South Shore MP Rick Perkins. Poilievre is in Halifax for a rally today, Sunday March 17th, 2024 (Contributed photo).
