REGINA — With a provincial budget just one day away and gas prices climbing, the NDP is calling for a suspension of the fuel tax.
Speaking to reporters at Canada’s Farm Show in Regina, Opposition Leader Carla Beck cited cost-of-living pressures as the reason for suspending the fuel tax.
“I've already had a lot of conversations with people here today, concerns about cost of living, input costs,” Beck said.
“Right now we see oil prices going through the roof, tracking towards $1.60. I think people certainly are feeling that at the pumps with gas prices over $1.60 here in Regina, even higher in Saskatoon. And today we're calling on the government to look at using some of that windfall revenue from those oil prices and giving people a break.”
Beck said the government should “show people that they understand how hard they're struggling and that they're willing to take this windfall, this temporary windfall, and give people in this province what they desperately need, and that's a break.”
In speaking to reporters, Beck pointed to cost-of-living pressures people are already facing, including “folks who have to fill up to get to work, people who have to fill up to get their kids to the dance competition or to the hockey tournament, they're really feeling the pinch.”
“Already we have some of the highest rates of consumer anxiety, people who feel like they're not able to pay their bills or they're worried about being able to repay their debt. I mean the evidence goes on and on…Given that they are finding themselves with these windfall revenues right now because of really concerning world events, here's a way that they can offer some relief and at least signal to the people of this province that they understand how hard they're struggling and they're willing to do something about it other than continue to pile on fees and rate hikes.”
When asked by reporters shortly afterwards, Premier Scott Moe pointed to affordability measures that are already included in the budget.
“We have significant affordability measures across the board in the province that we talk about, about $2.5 billion each and every year,” Moe said.
“And I think governments of all levels are doing all they can do to ensure that, whether it's Regina or whether it's any community in Saskatchewan, remains the most affordable community in the nation to live.”
However, Moe acknowledged the price of fuel has been spiking.
With the war in Iran and the American involvement in that, and what's happening in the Straits of Hormuz, Moe said “we are seeing a significant increase in the price of oil, which we are going to notice at the fuel pumps as well.”
Moe did point to the volatility of oil prices, noting that when he had left for India the price of oil was under $60 a barrel.
“Today we're seeing it somewhere in the range of $100 or even above $100 from time to time.”
As for how long oil prices remain high, Moe said he was not sure, but did say that if one looked at what President Donald Trump said about the length of the war, it “doesn't appear in his mind that it is going to go on that long and we'll see what happens with the price of oil over that period of time.”
“But it is a challenge. It's a challenge for the ag community. It's a challenge for residents in our urban centres. It most certainly is a challenge.”
