Sask NDP is renewing calls for Premier Scott Moe to suspend the provincial gas tax as pump prices climbed to nearly $1.90 per litre in Saskatoon on Wednesday.NDP Leader Carla Beck said the Sask Party government continues to collect a 15-cent-per-litre fuel tax despite rising costs linked to refinery disruptions in the United States.By late afternoon, at least a dozen stations in the city had raised prices close to $1.90 per litre. The Opposition says the tax adds about $650 annually for urban households and $750 for rural families.“Scott Moe gets up in the Legislature every day during this Spring Session and says there’s nothing to worry about,” said Beck. “All the while, the very people he was elected to serve are worried about putting food on the kitchen table and keeping a roof over their heads.”.The NDP argues the latest spike follows a 40-cent increase in late February tied to conflict in the Middle East. The party also points to an April 20 move by the federal government to cut its fuel tax, a step it says Saskatchewan has not matched.NDP Caucus Chair Matt Love said families are already under strain.“How high do prices at the pump have to go before Scott Moe does the right thing and suspends his punishing gas tax?” Love said, adding that many residents rely on vehicles for work and family needs.The Opposition also criticized planned increases to auto insurance rates and previous power rate hikes, saying they add to affordability pressures.The Sask Party government has said in the past that it is focused on broader affordability measures, but has not indicated plans to suspend the provincial fuel tax.
