Moe says Sask. gov’t looking to see if it can offer relief for gas prices

Premier Scott Moe dropped a hint Wednesday that help could be coming for Saskatchewan residents to ease the sting of record fuel prices and soaring inflation.

While gas and diesel prices are sucking more money out of the pockets of Saskatchewan residents, strong oil prices are generating more revenue for provincial coffers.

Speaking to Gormley on Wednesday, Moe said his government is looking at what “levers” it has to return the windfall in the short and medium term.

“We are of the true belief that the resource in Saskatchewan is owned by all Saskatchewan people,” Moe said. “If we find our way to a surplus, we are looking at how could we return these dollars so that it would benefit all Saskatchewan people.”

Moe noted one of the options on the table is a gas subsidy like what Alberta did by pausing the fuel tax.

The premier’s comments came while he was attending the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Showcase in Weyburn. Moe said the message he wants to convey to the industry is that Saskatchewan is open for business.

“We want stability into the future,” Moe said. “In order to do that, we need to ensure we are providing access to some of the most sustainably produced oil and gas in the world. It’s right here in Saskatchewan and Western Canada.”

Moe says providing energy security for the world will mean working with the federal government to remove barriers that prevent pipelines from being built.