News Release
TIME FOR RELIEF AT THE PUMP: ALBERTA NDP CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO SUSPEND THE PROVINCIAL GAS TAX
EDMONTON — Naheed Nenshi, Leader of the Official Opposition of Alberta, is calling on the provincial government to temporarily remove the provincial gas tax, which would lower fuel prices at the pump and give families and businesses immediate relief as costs of living continue to climb.
“With the cost of gas skyrocketing recently, Albertans feel every cent when they fill up,” said Nenshi. “Right now, families and business owners are doing the math at the pump and wondering what they’re going to cut next. Dropping the provincial gas tax is one clear, practical way the government can help today.”
Earlier today, the federal government announced a temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax. But Albertans continue to pay Alberta’s provincial fuel tax of 13 cents per litre — a cost entirely within provincial control.
Currently, Alberta’s fuel tax, at 13 cents per litre, costs the average family more than $300 a year. With all costs continuing to rise, Alberta’s NDP says cutting the provincial gas tax is one of the fastest and most direct ways the government can ease pressure on household budgets, for truckers, for businesses in the food industry, and for those in the housing, construction and delivery sectors.
“This isn’t complicated and it isn’t abstract,” said Nenshi. “It’s immediate help for commuters, parents, seniors, rural families, truckers, delivery workers, and anyone who relies on their vehicle to get to work. This is a measure entirely in the provincial government’s control, and a simple decision that would make life a little easier for a lot of people.”
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WHY IT MATTERS:
Fuel prices have increased dramatically in just weeks, adding to the struggle many Albertans face with the rising cost of living.
While the federal government has moved to suspend federal fuel taxes, Alberta still controls its own gas tax, and removing it would deliver immediate relief for household budgets and reduce operating costs for truckers, food producers, and the housing, construction, and delivery sectors.
Currently, the provincial gas tax, at 13 cents per litre, costs an average family of four approximately $300-325 per year.
Pinoy Edmonton News 