Conservative Agriculture Critic John Barlow is warning that the Liberal's Clean Fuel Standard will hit Canadians hard at the gas pump and the grocery store.
Citing a recent Department of Agriculture briefing, Barlow said the policy will raise fuel prices by 13 cents per litre for gasoline and 16 cents per litre for diesel by 2030. He criticized the government for downplaying the impact on consumers.
“The Liberal government is again burdening farmers and producers with expensive fuel taxes while pretending Canadians won’t notice the rising costs at the grocery store,” Barlow said in a statement Tuesday.
He says producers are already under pressure. Stat's Canada figures show that in 2024 there was a 26 per cent drop in net farm income, the largest single-year decline in over a decade.
"This is completely disconnected from the reality faced by Canadian farmers and producers across the country, rising costs for fuel, fertilizer, and feed are making farming less viable and pushing food prices higher."
He warns the Clean Fuel Standard will increase transportation and production costs across the supply chain.
"When farmers are taxed more and the costs of shipping and producing food go up, every Canadian household pays the price."
Calling the policy 'out of touch', Barlow said it will worsen the national affordability crisis and hurt rural communities and working families.