NO TO FUEL HIKES!
Our survey shows that an astounding 60% of voters oppose plan to increase carbon taxes
SIX out of ten voters oppose any hike in fuel taxes to help combat climate change, according to an exclusive Irish Daily Mail/Ireland Thinks poll.
With the first in a series of hikes on fossil fuels such as coal, gas, petrol and diesel expected to be announced in next autumn’s budget, the poll shows that 60% oppose such a move,
with only 32% in favour of the green-friendly squeeze.
Ireland is facing fines worth hundreds of millions of euro from next year because of its failure to meet EU climate targets but the Government is worried about a public backlash if it increases carbon taxes.
Protests, often violent, against similar fuel tax hikes in France by the
‘Yellow Vest’ demonstrators brought that country to a standstill and prompted a humiliating climbdown by President Emmanuel Macron.
Conscious of similar anger being sparked here, the Taoiseach last week emphasised any increase in fuel tax would be given directly back to citizens, either through an increase in child benefit or other welfare payments, or by rewarding low-carbon households with cheques through the post.
But with the poll showing widespread opposition across various regions, age groups and political allegiances, it appears there is much work to do to convince voters of the merits of the proposals.
Polling firm Ireland Thinks interviewed a sample of 1,546 adults between December 14 and December 21 last – prior to Leo Varadkar’s suggestion that the cost could be offset by tax rebates.
He will take some small comfort in the fact that Fine Gael voters were among those least opposed to carbon tax increases, with 40% of the party’s supporters in favour of the measure. The 60% of Fine
60% of FG voters oppose increases
Gaelers opposed to the levy was outdone by Labour (64%), Fianna Fáil (65%), Independents (71%) and Sinn Féin (75%). The only parties’ supporters who had a majority in favour of the carbon tax were those of the Green Party (72%) and the Social Democrats (64%).
The results will no doubt cause concern for Sinn Féin, whose voters display the highest volume of opposition to the carbon tax, despite the party frequently taking the Government to task over climate change failures. Indeed, any party with designs on power after the next election now faces a clear battle to win over their supporters on the issue, as the prospect of massive EU fines – €600million in 2020 and in the years after – leaves little wiggle room for introducing the measure.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is in the process of implementing similar measures which have already been pinpointed as the key battleground in that country’s election in October.
And fuel hikes have caused widespread chaos in France, prompting the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ or ‘Yellow Vest’ protest movement which has created weeks of unrest and upheaval in the country.
Support was strongest among 18- to 24-year-olds (56% in favour) and the 65-plus age bracket (44%). Opposition to the levy hikes is strongest among those who are middle-aged, perhaps as they tend to bear the greatest burden in relation to taxation. Those aged 45 to 54 had the highest levels of opposition (77%), followed by 35to 44-year-olds (72%), 55to 64-year-olds (72%) and 25- to 34-year-olds (59%).
Students (66%) and retirees (45%) tend to be most in favour of the proposition, while opposition is highest among workers (69%), homemakers (73%) and the unemployed, sick or disabled (75%).
The urban-rural divide was also evident in responses received in the poll, with those living in the densely populated east more likely to support the measures than those living in the countryside.
The highest level of opposition was found in the southeast (78%), the west (74%) and in border areas (71%), followed by the midlands and the southwest (both 70%).
The Taoiseach came in for heavy criticism from opposition parties for not raising the carbon levy in Budget 2019, having previously indicated he was ready to ‘grasp the nettle’ on the issue.
He has since confirmed the measure will come into effect in 2020, but today’s findings will give him plenty of food for thought.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe had made plans to introduce a modest €10 (per tonne of CO2) increase on budget day last year, which would have yielded €212million for the Exchequer – but it was abandoned at the last minute.
It came on the back of advice from the OECD that while such an increase would have only a modest impact on household incomes, it would not be high enough to encourage behavioural change.
Such an increase would result in price hikes across petrol, diesel, home-heating fuels and coal, ranging from 2% for a litre of petrol to 6.6% on a 40kg bag of coal. Comment – Page 12 james.ward@dailymail.ie