MPs back push to axe gas taxes

Westman MPs are backing their party’s pitch for the federal government to axe gas taxes for the rest of the year to offset soaring fuel costs.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre last week called on the governing Liberals to remove the fuel excise tax, the clean fuel standard and the goods and services tax from fuel.

That would mean a savings of 25 cents per litre of fuel, the Conservatives said.

Riding Mountain MP Dan Mazier says he agrees with Poilievre’s request.

“We need to get the prices of fuel down … Everybody’s getting sticker shock as we go pull up at the pumps,” Mazier said Monday.

He said the savings would “have a tremendous positive impact,” especially for people in his mostly rural riding.

“This riding of Riding Mountain is the size of Nova Scotia. You travel everywhere, and you put gas in your vehicle to go anywhere,” he said.

“This would be an automatic tax relief to get things back into line to get on with life and make it more affordable.”

Brandon-Souris MP Grant Jackson noted many people in his riding drive into Brandon for groceries, sports and events, and there is a lot of distance between communities.

“It’s important that we take these steps now to ensure that people can afford to continue making it to those things and have a little bit more money left in their bank accounts at the end of the month,” Jackson said.

He said the 25 cents per litre adds up quickly for people who go through a tank of gas per week.

“It will be a significant savings as we continue to see gas prices going up due to global conflicts,” Jackson said.

“This is certainly the fastest way to bring affordability to Westman families who are driving.”

Poilievre called for the change at a press conference last Thursday at an Ottawa gas station.

The tax cuts would save about $20 to fill a minivan, the Conservatives said in a press release.

A federal government spokesperson didn’t say whether there is a plan to reduce or remove gas taxes.

“The government is closely monitoring the surge in oil prices brought on by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and its implication on Canadians’ cost of living,” John Fragos, a press secretary for Finance and National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne, said in an email to the Sun.

“We are continually assessing measures and policies to support Canadians in this volatile period, while looking at ways to immediately alleviate urgent downstream price shocks and make life more affordable.”

Fragos said the government is focused on what it can control at home, including domestic oil production and advancing nation-building projects, among other things.

“Our government is treating urgent affordability concerns and the long-term, structural policies we are undertaking to unlock Canadian energy and bring it to global markets, support jobs, improve incomes, and make Canada a more prosperous and resilient country and economy,” he said.

At a Heritage Co-op gas station on Richmond Avenue in Brandon on Monday, regular gasoline was posted at 172.9 cents per litre while diesel was listed at 199.9 cents per litre.

That compares to a Manitoba average of about 121 cents per litre for regular gasoline on Feb. 25, according to price-tracking website GasBuddy.com.

For some people at the pumps, a slash in prices is necessary.

“I just put half a tank in and it was 50 bucks, whereas months ago when prices were a little more normal, I think it would cost me 60 to fill it from empty,” said Taylor Chyzyk, who was filling her vehicle at a gas station in Brandon Monday morning.

“It’s definitely making a big difference, for sure,” Chyzyk said.

She said her husband commutes to Souris every day for work, and despite his vehicle being a hybrid, their family is noticing a change, especially with having a baby in the home as well.

“We’re kind of in a season where costs are up to begin with and so it’s definitely making a difference in like, ‘Do we go travel to see family this weekend, or do we not?’ And that kind of thing,” Chyzyk said. “So definitely having to make different decisions because of that.”

Chyzyk said she’s in favour of anything that will lower prices.

“The cost of living is kind of crazy,” she said, adding that if the Conservative proposal is doable, then it would be a positive change.

For June Stanley, the change in prices doesn’t hit as hard as she is retired, but it will affect her more in the summer when she travels more.

She said the only reason she was getting gas on Monday is because she heard it was set to rise again soon.

Stanley said something needs to be done to lower costs, but said the Conservatives’ plan for lowering gas prices could trickle down and impact people’s wallets in a different way.

“We watch the news quite a bit and stuff, and they say if they take it off of the gas, it’ll just go on somewhere else, so what difference does it make?” Stanley said.

Meanwhile, for Brandon Twiss, the price of gas hasn’t really made a difference, and he will only start to worry when gasoline hits two dollars a litre.

Gas bar attendant Ashton Hirst told the Sun on Monday that there aren’t as many people coming to get gas as there were before gas prices ticked up last month.

“We’ve had a lot of people coming in, getting 5, 10, 15, 20 dollars’ worth of gas, but there’s not a lot of people filling up as much as it used to be,” Hirst said.

He said there has also been an increase in the number of people complaining about the price they’re paying, which he said is understandable, as people often already have a hard time with other expenses.

Mazier said the savings would mean more money in people’s wallets.

“I think it’s a really positive vision and I think Canadians, when they see this and realize the positive impacts on them, it’ll be really good for them,” Mazier said.

“So hopefully, again, the Liberals see this way, and I guess the ball’s in their court.”

Mazier said the savings wouldn’t just be for gas and diesel itself, but would also lead to savings on items like groceries, as there would be a lower cost to transport them.

He also accused the Liberals of just watching things happen and not doing anything to help.

When asked what the government should do if the taxes were decreased on fuel and it made less revenue, Mazier said Liberals should end its gun buyback program and the high-speed rail system between Ontario and Quebec, which is slated to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion.

Jackson said while the cuts would cost the federal treasury money, it’s important to do so to help everyday Canadians.

The price of fuel shot up last month after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Iran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at neighbouring countries and largely shutting down tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route responsible for about a fifth of the world’s oil.

» alambert@brandonsun.com