Oct. 6, 2022

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the government of Manitoba to make life more affordable by cutting provincial fuel taxes.

“Manitoba families and workers continue to pay among the highest gas prices in Canada and high taxes make these high prices even more painful,” said Robin Speer, Prairie Director of the CTF. “By cutting the provincial fuel tax, the government could provide real and immediate relief for all drivers in Manitoba.”

The government of Manitoba’s gas taxes add 14 cents per litre to the price of gasoline and diesel. Cutting provincial fuel taxes would save a family more than $10 every time they fueled up their minivan.

In July, Statistics Canada noted that “gasoline prices fell the most in Ontario (-12.2 per cent), where the provincial government temporarily lowered the gasoline tax.”

“While the inflation rate nationally rose in April, the rate declined in Alberta,” said University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe. “Falling gasoline prices because of the [Alberta] tax holiday is the reason.”

“With inflation at nearly a 40-year high, Manitoba taxpayers need real and immediate relief,” said Speer. “With the stroke of a pen, Premier Heather Stefanson could make life more affordable for everyone in the province today by cutting the gas taxes.”

During the pandemic, 51 national governments cut taxes, according to a recent CTF report.