• Provincial fuel tax suspension saves families about $70 per month

CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging the Alberta government to keep the provincial fuel tax fully suspended.

“Suspending the provincial fuel tax makes Alberta more affordable and Premier Danielle Smith should keep it that way,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director. “Does Smith want Alberta drivers paying more fuel taxes than Manitoba drivers pay under their NDP government?”

Manitoba NDP Premier Wab Kinew announced he’s suspending his provincial fuel tax effective Jan. 1, saving drivers 14 cents per litre.

The Alberta government previously charged a fuel tax of 13 cents per litre on gasoline and diesel, but the province fully suspended the tax for a year, saving Albertans hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now Smith says she might raise the fuel tax again on Jan. 1, 2024

“In the new year, if these prices continue to be moderate like this, we will be bringing the fuel tax back, yes,” Smith told listeners.

The fuel tax suspension saves families about $10 every time they fill up a minivan and about $15 when they fill up a light duty pick up truck.

Truckers save about $130 every time they fill up their big rig trucks with diesel, reducing shipping costs.

“Smith has done the right thing by suspending the fuel tax and taking the sting out of Trudeau’s carbon tax and she should definitely keep up that fight,” said Sims. “Life is not magically more affordable for Albertans and it would be wrong to suddenly slap them with a big tax increase on an essential like this.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has been highlighting the savings for Alberta drivers for the last year, including in its annual Gas Tax Honesty Report. To read the report click HERE.