Saskatchewan stays the course as neighbouring provinces slash gasoline taxes | CBC News

As neighbouring provinces address the cost of living at the gas pump by reducing or cutting their gas taxes, Saskatchewan has chosen to keep its tax in place and unchanged. 

It’s a decision that hurts residents looking for affordability assistance, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. 

“Our neighbours are getting relief but Saskatchewan families aren’t,” Gage Haubrich, the organization’s Prairies director, said during an interview on Wednesday. 

Alberta kicked of 2024 by reintroducing its gasoline tax after a nearly-two year pause.

However, its tax is at a much lower rate — $0.09 a litre at the gas pumps, compared with the $0.15 a litre tax in Saskatchewan. 

In Manitoba, Premier Wab Kinew has taken a page from Alberta’s book and fulfilled an election promise to cut he provincial gas tax that was set at $0.14 a litre.

Manitoba’s holiday from the gas tax will last for at least six months and, according to figures provided by the Province of Manitoba, will save the average Manitoba family an estimated $250 during that time.

There will be no similar holiday in Saskatchewan, even though the province insists it is taking action on affordability. 

Dustin Duncan, minister of the Crown Investments Corp., says Saskatchewan’s refusal to collect the federal carbon tax on home heating would help even more people. 

“This is about fairness,” Duncan said last November during an interview with David Cochrane on CBC’s Power and Politics. “This in and unto itself would likely provide for the average household in Saskatchewan more relief than say doing something on the fuel tax.”

WATCH| Saskatchewan premier threatens to stop collecting carbon tax

Saskatchewan premier threatens to stop collecting carbon tax

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his government will stop collecting the federal carbon tax on natural gas in January unless the federal government offers exemptions that will benefit the people of his province.

Haubrich said slashing or cutting the gas tax would be a “no brainer,” and he doesn’t understand why there has been no action by the provincial government in Saskatchewan. 

“The premier or the finance minister, every day they’ll go on and they’ll rail against how much the carbon tax is costing families, which is $0.14 a litre at the gas pump, but the provincial gas tax is $0.15. That’s more money,” he said.

“They fail to realize that, you know, they cut that [and] they could eliminate at least the cost of the carbon tax for the time being.” 

The Official Opposition has also called for the province to take action on the gas tax in order to lend a hand to the province’s residents. 

On Wednesday Trent Wotherspoon, the Saskatchewan NDP’s affordability critic, voiced support for Manitoba’s decision to cut the gas tax and said they’ve called for Saskatchewan’s gas tax to be suspended.

“The Sask. Party have failed to support our motions in the Legislature on this front and have failed to act to make life more affordable,” Wotherspoon wrote in a post on social media.