The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew to join other premiers and oppose the April 1 federal carbon tax hike.

“Other premiers are sticking up for their taxpayers and opposing the federal carbon tax hike and Manitobans need Kinew to join the fight,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “The Parliamentary Budget Officer is clear: the carbon tax costs the average Manitoba family hundreds of dollars more every year than they get back in rebates.”

Kinew is the only provincial premier where the federal carbon tax is directly applied that has not yet called on the federal government to stop its carbon tax hike on April 1.

On April 1, the federal carbon tax will increase to 17 cents per litre of gasoline, 21 cents per litre of diesel and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.

After the hike, the carbon tax will cost the average family in Manitoba $502 a year more than they get back in rebates, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 76 per cent of those polled oppose the federal carbon tax hike, according to a Leger poll commissioned by the CTF.

Kinew speaking out against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax hike would send a strong message to Ottawa.

“People need relief from the high cost of living so there’s no way Trudeau should be hiking the carbon tax that makes the necessities of life more expensive,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Trudeau should scrap the carbon tax, but at the very least he shouldn’t be hiking taxes that make life more expensive.”