Canadian Taxpayers Federation calls for cuts to gas and carbon taxes

As people in Saskatchewan try to squeeze as much as they can into the rest of summer, they’re also having to stretch their wallets ever wider to pay for gas.

That’s why Gage Haubrich, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s (CTF) prairie director, believes both the provincial and federal governments should cut their taxes on gasoline.

“Families are trying to take that once-a-year vacation, they’re trying to take their kids to baseball and football practice or they’re simply trying to gas up their car to get to work, and the simple truth is that they cannot afford it,” Haubrich said Thursday during a media conference in Regina.

Forty-seven cents from every litre of gas purchased in Saskatchewan is taxes, according to the CTF. Fourteen cents of that is due to the federal carbon tax, but Haubrich said the province is in on it too, with 15 cents from every litre.

“The premier rightly and regularly calls out the cost and financial pain that the carbon tax causes, but continues to charge Saskatchewan drivers a gas tax of one cent more,” he said.

“It’s fairly ludicrous that the (provincial) government continues to charge more than Justin Trudeau is charging but calls out the cost that it’s costing people. They have to level out that playing field.”

Haubrich said with the more than $1-billion surplus, the province could afford to completely cut the gas tax and still have $500 million left to put into debt reduction.

He said even a partial reduction in the gas tax would send the message that the provincial government is listening to taxpayers.

Haubrich didn’t leave out the carbon tax, saying people are paying more than they get back in the rebate, citing the parliamentary budget officer, and warning that it’s expected to keep rising.