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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging the Manitoba NDP to go the extra kilometre and ax the provincial gas tax permanently.
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Prairie director Gage Haubrich set up on the southern steps of the Manitoba Legislative Building on Tuesday to pitch the case for not just extending the 14 cents per litre cut that was introduced on Jan. 1 and then extended to Sept. 30, but getting rid of it completely.
“The government needs to extend the gas tax cut, but the next step is to make the cut permanent,” Haubrich said. “Manitoba families are fighting to afford the basics and they shouldn’t be forced to hold their breath every couple of months to see if the government is going to hike their taxes.”
Manitoba’s gas prices have been the lowest in the country since the cut, something Premier Wab Kinew has acknowledged, with CTF estimating people are saving about $10-13 each time they fill up.
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“Taxpayers can’t afford a tax hike next week,” Haubrich said. “Kinew can’t let Manitobans lose these savings, he needs to extend the gas tax cut now.”
Kinew appears to be leaning toward another extension, telling reporters at an event in Brandon last week “we’re taking a look at extending that potentially to the end of the year based on a lot of different factors.”
Kinew said the decision would factor in the recent interest rate cut, along with grocery and housing costs.
“We’re going to be looking to the broader conversations and indicators we have and basically ask, you, the people of Manitoba, ‘Should we extend this gas tax holiday another three months to save you money,’” he said in Brandon.
A CTF poll in August showed 71% of Manitobans in favour of a further gas tax cut extension, with 68% in favour of making it permanent.
During the 2023 election campaign, the NDP also promised to freeze Manitoba Hydro rates for one year.
“The cost of everything is going up, but your hydro bill doesn’t have to,” said Kinew during the campaign. “The provincial government should leverage the clean, affordable energy of hydro to deliver cheaper monthly bills. A Manitoba NDP government will freeze hydro rates.”
The NDP have yet to confirm when, or if, they will follow through on that promise.
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