Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is in the province, drumming up support and capitalizing on concerns about the impact of the federal carbon tax.

The tax is scheduled to increase by 23 per cent on April 1st.

That means the federal portion of tax on a litre of gas will increase from 14.2 cents to 17.6 cents a litre.

Seven premiers, including Newfoundland and Labrador’s Andrew Furey, are calling on Ottawa to either pause or scrap the increase in the face of high inflation and interest rates.

But the feds say they’re sticking to their guns, with Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne indicating Ottawa is forging ahead with its carbon reduction plan.

Poilievre says the tax will continue to squeeze people already struggling with the cost of living.

“It will also raise the price of groceries,” says Poilievre, citing higher fuel costs for farmers and fish harvesters, “who make the food, and the truckers who ship the food, and you tax all who buy the food.”

Poilievre claims it’s all “part of a five-and-a-half-year plan to phase-in a 61-cent-a-litre carbon tax.”