Majority of Canadians oppose banning sale of gas-powered vehicles

 Noah Jarvis, True North

A majority of Canadians are opposed to the Liberal government’s plan to ban the sale of new gas and diesel passenger vehicles.

A majority of Canadians are opposed to the Liberal government’s plan to ban the sale of new gas and diesel passenger vehicles.

A new poll from Léger commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation found that 60 per cent of decided Canadians are opposed to a national ban on the sale of all gas and diesel-powered vehicle sales by 2035.

Opposition to the gas and diesel vehicle ban is stronger amongst Albertans, with 68 per cent opposed to the ban while Quebecers are more partial to the policy — only 55 per cent disapproving.

The poll also found that women are more likely to oppose the gas and diesel vehicle ban than men, with a five point gap between the two groups.

In late 2023, the Liberal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau had announced that Canada would be following in the footsteps of other jurisdictions like the European Union and the United Kingdom in banning these passenger vehicles, in an effort to achieve net zero emissions.

The poll parallels a previous finding that 66 per cent of Canadians believe that the Liberal government’s timeline in phasing out the sale of gas and diesel passenger vehicles is “unrealistic.”

B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Carson Binda said that the poll clearly indicates that taxpayers do not want to be forced to foot the bill for an expensive nationwide transition to electric vehicles.