Soaring fuel prices in British Columbia have sparked calls for immediate tax relief, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation urging Premier David Eby to suspend the provincial motor fuels tax to ease pressure on drivers.The advocacy group says motorists in B.C. are paying the highest prices in Canada, driven largely by a combination of provincial and regional fuel taxes. In Metro Vancouver and the Capital Regional District, gas prices have climbed above $2 per litre, while much of the rest of the province is seeing prices around $1.80.“B.C. drivers pay the highest gas prices in the country because of the highest gas taxes from the province and regional districts,” said Carson Binda, the federation’s B.C. director, arguing the province has the ability to deliver relief even as global factors push oil prices higher.According to federation estimates, taxes account for a significant portion of the cost at the pump. Filling a minivan costs roughly $40.07 in taxes in Vancouver, $35.65 in Victoria and $31.55 elsewhere in the province..The provincial motor fuels tax alone adds 8.5 cents per litre in Metro Vancouver and 14.5 cents per litre across the rest of B.C., with additional levies in the Lower Mainland driven in part by TransLink-related charges.Suspending the provincial tax would save drivers in Vancouver about $5.44 per 64-litre fill-up, while motorists elsewhere in the province would save roughly $9.28, the group estimates.Binda also pointed to recent provincial spending decisions, arguing the government could redirect funds to provide tax relief. The province announced a new $400 million fund aimed at supporting large defence-related businesses, which the federation criticized as corporate welfare.Eliminating that spending, Binda said, could fund a temporary suspension of the gas tax for several months, offering immediate relief to households and businesses facing rising costs.“Normal B.C. taxpayers are struggling to pay their bills while global conflicts and tax hikes eat away at their bank accounts,” he said, adding the province should prioritize broad-based tax cuts over targeted subsidies.
