UCP Leadership candidate Brian Jean has announced his third policy measure to offer royalty-free gasoline and diesel in Alberta. The policy will save Albertans a further 15 cents a litre over and above the 13 cent reduction in the fuel tax. If elected premier, he will remove the royalty on any barrels of Alberta oil and bitumen refined in Alberta to produce gasoline and diesel fuels for the Alberta market.Jean estimates that at current oil prices, the removal of the royalty could save Albertans and Alberta businesses about 15 cents a litre on fuel.When combined with the waiver of the Alberta fuel tax, it would mean gasoline and diesel would be at least 28 cents per litre cheaper in Alberta than anywhere else in Canada."Albertans right now are focused on affordability. This long weekend, many people are staying close to home because hauling the boat or the trailer to a lake or campground is too expensive," Jean said."Albertans are hurting, but the government is as flush with cash as it has ever been. For years, many Albertans have asked the question of why can’t we get a better deal on fuel since the oil belongs to us? This gives Albertans the ‘owner’s discount’ they have been asking for.”“I want the gas and diesel that Albertans and Alberta farms and businesses buy every day, to be royalty-free,” Jean said.“Albertans own the oil, we can give them the benefit of that in a way that reduces costs and inflation, quickly and permanently.”Alberta produces about four million barrels oil per day. The vast majority of that is exported, but about 9% of that oil is refined in the province into diesel and gasoline for the Alberta market.Feedstock oil and bitumen make up about 50–55% of the cost of the final fuel.Jean has committed to working with oil producers and refiners to find the most effective system to realize this cost reduction.
