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EDMONTON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today launched a new petition opposing any provincial gas tax hikes, sales taxes, income tax hikes or any other tax increases in Budget 2010.
The CTF launched this petition on their 11th Annual Gas Tax Honesty Day at a gas station in Edmonton.
“The Alberta government has said they are going to find $2 billion in ‘fiscal corrections’ before Budget 2010. Unless Albertans want to see that come in the form of tax hikes, they’d better stand up and be counted,” stated CTF-Alberta director Scott Hennig.
“A couple provincial cabinet ministers have openly suggested the province might consider a sales tax, a five cent per litre gas tax increase and hiking income taxes,” continued Hennig. “Albertans currently enjoy an advantage over our neighbours when it comes to gas prices, but that advantage will be lost if the Stelmach government hikes the gas tax.”
Currently, 25 per cent of the pump price of gas is tax (provincial, federal and GST). If the province decides to hike the gasoline tax by five cents, not only will Albertans pay more for gas, but the percentage of tax would jump to 29 per cent.
A driver who fills up their 50 litre tank once a week with gas should expect to pay an additional $130 a year in gasoline taxes if the province hikes its provincial excise tax from 9 cents per litre to 14 cents per litre.
“It should be little surprise the government is looking at the gas tax as a place where they can extract more from Albertans,” said Hennig. “It’s one of the least transparent taxes, as it doesn’t show up anywhere on the receipt or on the pump. This is why we’ve been trying for the past 11 years to expose the bite of gas taxes across Canada.”
“Albertans have seven or eight months before the premier and his cabinet will decide whether or not to hike taxes. Albertans need to sign our petition and send a clear message they don’t want higher taxes,” concluded Hennig.
Iris Evans: “We’re not saying no to tax increases,” (April 9th, 2009 – Calgary Sun)
Iris Evans: “we may have to increase taxes down the road.” (April 14th, 2009 – Alberta Hansard)
Ron Liepert: "I will not rule out tax increases. I spoke the other day to the fact that if we were to implement, as an example -- I'm not suggesting that that's what we're doing -- but if we were to implement a five-cent gas tax, that's $400 million dollars." (April 17th, 2009 - http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090417/edm_liepert_090417/20090417/CSI)
Ron Liepert: "We put in a 10% flat tax. Is that the right tax model? Maybe, maybe not." (April 21, 2009 – Calgary Sun)
Rick Bell – Calgary Sun: “He (Liepert) also says there's room for a little more tax at the gas pumps” (April 21, 2009)
Edmonton Journal: “Premier Ed Stelmach did not dismiss the idea of raising the province's gas tax (April 22, 2009)
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