Ford promises car-friendly cuts, critics call it a climate setback

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is promising to make Ontario’s gas tax cut permanent, scrap tolls on the province-owned section of Highway 407 East, and ban congestion charges on all roads if his party is re-elected. 

He claims it will save drivers money, but critics argue it’s a climate setback that fuels congestion and reinforces car dependency.

At his election campaign event in Pickering on Wednesday, Ford argued that inflation, interest rates and the federal carbon tax have already burdened Ontarians with higher costs, and pitched his driver-friendly policies as money-saving solutions.

The gas tax cut, which took effect in July 2022 and is set to expire on June 30, reduces the gasoline tax by 5.7 cents per litre and the diesel fuel tax by 5.3 cents per litre. At the time, the Ford government said the tax reduction was aimed at keeping costs down, particularly in light of the impact of inflation and rising interest rates on Ontarians.

The province says the gas tax cut will save the average Ontario household $380.

“We will never, ever raise taxes,” he said. “We haven’t before.”

Ontario falls under the federal government's carbon tax because it hasn’t had its own carbon pricing plan since Ford ended the province's cap-and-trade program in 2018.

Keith Brooks, program manager at Environmental Defence, said the move to eliminate the tax would “set back progress on climate change.” 

“Lower fuel costs encourage people to drive more and purchase larger vehicles,” he explained.

Canada already has some of the least fuel-efficient vehicles in the world, and that’s why the transportation sector is the largest emitting sector in Ontario, he said.

“Instead of continuing to invest in fossil fuels — which drive climate change — we could be spending that money on electric vehicles and batteries, which are now being manufactured and assembled right here in Ontario,” Brooks said. “This would save people money, support domestic jobs and industries, and strengthen a sector that is currently at risk, especially with the U.S. President Trump's tariffs threat.”

Brooks urged all political parties to prioritize helping Ontarians access electric vehicles. He noted that while many people still rely on cars due to limited public transit options, there should also be greater investment in expanding transit.

In an email statement to Canada’s National Observer, the Ontario Green Party said the best way to help Ontarians save money on their daily commute is by providing more affordable transportation options. “That includes investing in public transit like two-way all-day GO and interregional bus service, as well as incentives that make it more affordable and accessible to buy and use an EV,” the statement read. 

The party stressed the need for long-term planning to reduce car dependency, saying communities should be designed so people don’t have to spend hours driving. The Greens highlighted the importance of transit-oriented development and increasing midrise- and missing-middle housing within existing urban areas.

Ford’s promise to permanently remove tolls from Highway 407 East would apply to the provincially-owned portion that runs from Pickering to Clarington.

“Tolls are absolutely unfair — they hit hardworking families. They are nothing more than a tax on drivers trying to get to work or home to their families,” he said.

The remaining 108 kilometres of Highway 407 ETR, from Pickering to Burlington, is privately owned.

“This will save daily commuters up to $7,200 a year,” Ford said. “Just imagine that — $7,200 back in your pocket. These are enormous savings for families and workers, and they couldn’t come at a better time.”

In response to questions from reporters, both the Ontario NDP and Liberal leaders discussed Highway 407 during their campaign events today. They share a common stance on making it free for trucks, but the NDP plans to eventually extend free access to all cars.

Before the election was announced, Ford considered buying back Highway 407 to address Toronto's chronic congestion. It was sold by a previous Progressive Conservative government.

However, critics argue that removing tolls from the 407 won’t actually solve congestion issues but will instead encourage more traffic.

Peter Miasek, president of Transport Action Ontario, believes the focus should be on providing trucks with a discount, rather than making the highway free for all vehicles. “That allows goods to move more efficiently, but the real long-term fix for people movement is more transit and compact communities," Miasek said.

“If you eliminate tolls for cars too, the 407 will just fill up again due to induced demand. It won’t solve congestion,” he said.