Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal Liberal government to scrap taxes on gasoline temporarily as Canadians grapple with eye-popping fuel prices ahead of the busy summer driving season.

With the price of almost everything spiking due to a 30-year high in inflation, the cost of living has become the top political issue in Canada.

Statistics Canada said last week its consumer price index for April rose 6.8 per cent compared to a year ago — up from a year-over-year gain of 6.7 per cent recorded for March.

The war in Ukraine and the resulting supply shocks have pushed up the prices people pay