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Business
Most Canadians say retaliatory tariffs on American goods contribute to raising the price of essential goods at home

- 77 per cent say Canadaās tariffs on U.S. products increase the price of consumer goods
- 72 per cent say that their current tax bill hurts their standard of living
A new MEI-Ipsos poll published this morning reveals a clear disconnect between Ottawaās high-tax, high-spending approach and Canadiansā level of satisfaction.
āCanadians are not on board with Ottawaās fiscal path,ā says Samantha Dagres, communications manager at the MEI. āFrom housing to trade policy, Canadians feel theyāre being squeezed by a government that is increasingly an impediment to their standard of living.ā
More than half of Canadians (54 perĀ cent) say Ottawa is spending too much, while only six perĀ cent think it is spending too little.
A majority (54 perĀ cent) also do not believe federal dollars are being effectively allocated to address Canadaās most important issues, and a similar proportion (55 perĀ cent) are dissatisfied with the transparency and accountability in the governmentās spending practices.
As for their own tax bills, Canadians are equally skeptical. Two-thirds (67 per cent) say they pay too much income tax, and about half say they do not receive good value in return.
Provincial governments fared even worse. A majority of Canadians say they receive poor value for the taxes they pay provincially. In Quebec, nearly two-thirds (64 perĀ cent) of respondents say they are not getting their moneyās worth from the provincial government.
Not coincidentally, Quebecers face theĀ highestĀ marginal tax rates in North America.
On the question of Canadaās response to the U.S. trade dispute, nearly eight in 10 Canadians (77 per cent) agree that Ottawaās retaliatory tariffs on American products are driving up the cost of everyday goods.
āCanadians understand that tariffs are just another form of taxation, and that they are the ones footing the bill for any political posturing,ā adds Ms. Dagres. āOttawa should favour unilateral tariff reduction and increased trade with other nations, as opposed to retaliatory tariffs that heap more costs onto Canadian consumers and businesses.ā
On the issue of housing, 74 per cent of respondents believe that taxes on new construction contribute directly to unaffordability.
All of this dissatisfaction culminates in 72 per cent of Canadians saying their overall tax burden is reducing their standard of living.
āTaxpayers are not just ATMs for government ā and if they are going to pay such exorbitant taxes, youād think the least they could expect is good service in return,ā says Ms. Dagres. āCanadians are increasingly distrustful of a government that believes every problem can be solved with higher taxes.ā
A sample of 1,020 Canadians 18 years of age and older was polled between June 17 and 23, 2025. The results are accurate to within ± 3.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The results of the MEI-Ipsos poll are available here.
* * *
The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances, and advisory services to policymakers, the MEI stimulates public policy debate and reforms based on sound economics and entrepreneurship.
Business
B.C. premier wants a private pipelineāhereās how you make that happen

From the Fraser Institute
By Julio MejĆa and Elmira Aliakbari
At the federal level, the Carney government should scrap several Trudeau-era policies including Bill C-69 (which introducedĀ vague criteriaĀ into energy project assessments including the effects on the āintersection of sex and gender with other identity factorsā)
The Eby government has left the door (slightly) open to Albertaās proposed pipeline to the British Columbiaās northern coast. Premier David Eby said he isnātĀ opposedĀ to a new pipeline that would expand access to Asian marketsābut he does not want government to pay for it. Thatās a fair condition. But to attract private investment for pipelines and other projects, both the Eby government and the Carney government must reform the regulatory environment.
First, some background.
Trumpās tariffs against Canadian products underscore the risks of heavily relying on the United States as the primary destination for our oil and gasāCanadaāsĀ mainĀ exports. In 2024, nearlyĀ 96 per centĀ of oil exports and virtuallyĀ allĀ natural gas exports went to our southern neighbour. Clearly, Canada must diversify our energy export markets. Expanded pipelines to transport oil and gas,Ā mostlyĀ produced in the Prairies, to coastal terminals would allow Canadaās energy sector to find new customers in Asia and Europe and become less reliant on the U.S. In fact, following the completion of theĀ Trans Mountain PipelineĀ expansion between Alberta and B.C. in May 2024, exports to non-U.S. destinations increased by almostĀ 60 per cent.
However, Canadaās uncompetitive regulatory environment continues to create uncertainty and deter investment in the energy sector. According to a 2023Ā surveyĀ of oil and gas investors, 68 per cent of respondents said uncertainty over environmental regulations deters investment in Canada compared to only 41 per cent of respondents for the U.S. And 59 per cent said the cost of regulatory compliance deters investment compared to 42 per cent in the U.S.
When looking at B.C. specifically, investor perceptions are even worse. Nearly 93 per cent of respondents for the province said uncertainty over environmental regulations deters investment while 92 per cent of respondents said uncertainty over protected lands deters investment. Among all Canadian jurisdictions included in the survey, investors said B.C. has the greatest barriers to investment.
How can policymakers help make B.C. more attractive to investment?
At the federal level, the Carney government should scrap several Trudeau-era policies including Bill C-69 (which introducedĀ vague criteriaĀ into energy project assessments including the effects on the āintersection of sex and gender with other identity factorsā), Bill C-48 (which effectivelyĀ bannedĀ large oil tankers off B.C.ās northern coast, limiting access to Asian markets), and theĀ proposed capĀ on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the oil and gas sector (which will likelyĀ leadĀ to aĀ reductionĀ in oil and gas production, decreasing the need for new infrastructure and, in turn, deterring investment in the energy sector).
At the provincial level, the Eby government should abandon its latest GHG reductionĀ targets, which discourage investment in the energy sector. Indeed, in 2023 provincial regulatorsĀ rejectedĀ a proposal from FortisBC, the provinceās main natural gas provider, because it did not align with the Eby governmentās emission-reduction targets.
Premier Eby is rightāprivate investment should develop energy infrastructure. But to attract that investment, the province must have clear, predictable and competitive regulations, which balance environmental protection with the need for investment, jobs and widespread prosperity. To make B.C. and Canada a more appealing destination for investment, both federal and provincial governments must remove the regulatory barriers that keep capital away.
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