Photo: The Canadian Press / Patrick Doyle Natural Resources Secretary Jonathan Wilkinson speaks to a reporter after a cabinet meeting at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Natural Resources Secretary Jonathan Wilkinson says the government is focusing more on stabilizing oil prices by increasing supply rather than trying to reduce prices by offering Canadians a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax. His comments come as US President Joe Biden plans to cut federal gas taxes south of the border after other measures to curb rising gas prices failed. If the Biden government follows this plan, it will make Canada the only remaining G7 country that has not recently reduced its excise duties on gas or offered a subsidy to help reduce pump prices. The United Kingdom, Italy and Germany have reduced excise duties on gasoline, while France and Japan have offered subsidies to consumers and wholesalers since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed up world oil prices. fuel, respectively. Wilkinson says there are no immediate plans for Canada to join them, noting that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s talk of affordability last week instead showed planned increases in government bills, cuts in childcare costs and increases in the Old Age Insurance Program and Canada Workers Benefit. He says the gas tax holiday is not entirely off the table, but the government is currently working at home and abroad to increase fuel supplies in a bid to bring global oil prices back under control. June 20, 2022 – 12894 votes Can Canada Introduce a Guaranteed Basic Income? Yes: 4383 No: 7498 Uncertain: 1013 June 19, 2022 – 12713 votes How is your quality of life today compared to three years ago? Best: 1900 Worst: 7124 About the same: 3689 June 18, 2022 – 8804 votes Should recreational psychedelic drugs be legalized in Canada? Yes: 3680 No: 4743 Uncertain: 381 June 16, 2022 – 5966 votes Will you try to get a ticket to a World Cup match in Vancouver when the tournament comes to BC in 2026? Yes: 1405 No: 4315 Uncertain: 246 June 15, 2022 – 8487 votes Should Canada abandon the mandatory use of the ArriveCan app for visitors to the country? Yes: 6661 No: 1512 Uncertain: 314