The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has commended Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew for his decision to extend fuel tax relief in the province, while urging the Alberta government to take similar action.In a statement, CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims expressed astonishment at the disparity between the two provinces' approaches to fuel taxes."It feels like the Twilight Zone to see the NDP government of Manitoba saving their people 14 cents per litre while Albertans are paying the full fuel tax here at home," Sims said. "Albertans just got a double-whammy fuel tax hike with a carbon tax hike from Ottawa and a fully reinstated fuel tax from Edmonton."On January 1, Manitoba fully suspended the provincial fuel tax, resulting in substantial savings for families when they fill up their vehicles. Kinew announced on Tuesday that the fuel tax holiday would be extended for an additional three months.Meanwhile, in Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith previously implemented a full suspension of the provincial fuel tax in December 2022, citing affordability concerns and opposition to the federal carbon tax. However, the Alberta government partially reinstated the tax on January 1 and fully reinstated it to 13 cents per litre of gasoline and diesel on April 1, coinciding with the federal carbon tax hike.The discrepancy in approaches to fuel tax relief has drawn criticism from the CTF, particularly in light of actions taken by other provinces. Sims highlighted that Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberal government and Ontario's Progressive Conservative government have both partially suspended their fuel taxes.The CTF emphasized the inconsistency between the United Conservative Party's (UCP) campaign promises and their actions regarding taxes. "Albertans are getting a full-strength provincial fuel tax while folks in other provinces are getting relief," Sims stated. "Premier Danielle Smith is rightly defending Albertans against Trudeau’s carbon tax in Ottawa, but the actions don’t match the rhetoric when the UCP government is reimposing the provincial fuel tax at home."
