I respect the fact you've given your reasons so fair enough but...

I respect the fact you've given your reasons so fair enough but I do disagree with your statements, though. In my opinion a lower excise with fewer exemptions is both less complicated, fairer and provides more benefit to more people.

It isn't as simple as saying "we pay for roads with the excise". It is simply income and expenses for the federal budget, just like how income taxes don't specifically pay for health or education but they are just added to the Federal govenment income steam.

Federal and State governments rebate or apply subsidies to every industry and fuel is just one of them. There are countless other examples such as exploration grants I also linked, federal or state funding for infrastructure for a commerical project, deferrals of royalities, different depreciation rules, etc.

The fundamental misinformation people recieve is that somehow renewable projects are only viable due to subsidies, yet they won't acklowedge that this applies to every industry including Mining and Oil & Gas. It isn't a bad thing but there is such selective outrage. (Not from you, by the way).