The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said Thursday that two B.C. municipalities have the highest gas taxes in Canada and it’s calling on the B.C. government to give everyone a break.
In a report published Thursday, the federation said, residents of Vancouver and Victoria are feeling the most pain at the pumps, at least when it comes to taxes.
More than 70 cents per litre of the price of gas is taxes, including 14.5 cents in provincial levies.
Albertans pay 31 cents in taxes per litre of gasoline, the lowest gas tax rate in Canada.
The federation said other provinces have removed the provincial levies to address the cost of living increases.
“B.C. is out of line with the rest of the country and we need Premier David Eby to show the leadership the governments of Ontario and Alberta have by suspending the provincial parts of their gas taxes while prices remain at unprecedented levels,” Carson Binda, the B.C. director of the federation told Global News.
So far, the province has been reluctant to put a pause on the tax at the pump, but they say there are other measures in place to address the cost of living, which includes the family benefit rate.
“B.C. has for months outstripped the rest of the country when it comes to inflation and a lot of that is the cost at the pumps,” Peter Milobar, the B.C. United finance critic said. “So it’s no wonder British Columbians are feeling more pinch.”
The federal government has said pricing carbon pollution is “the most efficient policy” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive clean innovation. The latest National Inventory Report of Canada’s emissions shows that emissions fell by 7.4 per cent between 2019 and 2021.
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