REGINA - The Saskatchewan NDP have once again repeated their call for a six month suspension of the gas tax, in advance of summer road trip season.
At a media event in Regina, and in a party news release issued that same afternoon, Opposition Leader Carla Beck called for Premier Scott Moe to suspend the 15 cent a litre tax on gas and diesel. She pointed to similar moves by other provinces such as Manitoba, who suspended the gas tax, as well as similar calls at the federal level by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre last week.
“Many people are looking at cutting back or even cancelling their summer road trip because of the cost of living. But it doesn’t have to be this way,” said Beck. “Again, today, we are calling on Premier Scott Moe to provide some relief, something he can do at a stroke of a pen… this is something we’ve seen nearly half of Canadian premiers do, and Scott Moe is the only provincial premier on the prairies who has not provided fuel tax relief to his citizens.
“Last week we even saw the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre call for a suspension and call for some gas tax relief. This is a measure that could make life a little more affordable for Saskatchewan families, and given the support we have seen across the political spectrum, we’re calling on Scott Moe to reconsider. This is a question of fairness and a question of providing very much needed relief for Saskatchewan people need right now.”
She also pledged that if given the privilege of forming government in the fall, “we will suspend the gas tax… it’s time for a change.” Beck confirmed to reporters this would be a six month suspension.
The latest NDP announcement follows on the heels of the previous legislative session which wrapped up last week. During that recent sitting, the NDP leader led off every Question Period day after day with a call to suspend the gas tax, and an Opposition motion to suspend the gas tax was defeated by the Sask Party majority.
The response from the governing Sask Party has been to point to $2 billion in affordability measures already built into the provincial budget. The government have also questioned how the Opposition would recoup the cost of suspending the gas tax, pointing to that money being used to pay for highway construction.
When asked about that by reporters Beck responded the government "simply has the wrong priorities," pointing to spending such as failed IT projects like the AIMS system in health care, the Regina bypass, and other spending.
"When you're the Premier of the province, and the number one issue that you see is that people are struggling just to pay their bills, and your response to that is 'well you don't know how good you have it,' you know, and refuse to offer any relief, it really does speak to a government that is out of touch -- that doesn't, as I said, doesn't understand or doesn't care that people are struggling."
