Thousands of people are hoping to hit the open road this summer and head to Drumheller to see the dinosaurs or to the Western Development Museum to learn about the olden days. There’s just one problem: sky-high taxes on gasoline and diesel.
Before we blame Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his carbon tax that costs us 17 cents per litre of gasoline, folks in Alberta and Saskatchewan should cast a withering glance at their provincial capitals.
Premiers Danielle Smith and Scott Moe are right when they put the boots to Trudeau and tell him to scrap his carbon tax. But both premiers have the power to provide immediate provincial tax relief at the gas pumps in their provinces. So why aren’t they?
In Alberta, Smith did the right thing in 2022 when she fully suspended the provincial fuel tax for a year. That saved drivers about $10 every time they filled up their minivans and about $15 for pickup trucks. But as of April 1 of this year, that tax is back up to full freight at 13 cents per litre. In Saskatchewan, Moe made a good move when he refused to collect Trudeau’s carbon tax on home heating, but he hasn’t reduced the fuel tax at all — not once.
Now compare the two fiercest premiers who push for lower taxes from Ottawa — Smith and Moe — to the guy in the orange jersey in Winnipeg.
Even drivers in Ontario are getting a break at the gas pump. That’s because Premier Doug Ford recently extended his own fuel tax cut. Farther east, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal Premier Andrew Furey recently extended his own eight cents per litre gas tax cut for the entire year.
Both premiers know that people need help affording the necessities, especially with the burden of the federal carbon tax. They need to dig a little deeper, find some savings and offer their residents fuel tax relief.
Kris Sims is the Alberta director and Gage Haubrich is the Prairies director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.