The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Premier Wab Kinew to permanently cut the provincial gas tax as fuel prices jump across Manitoba.

“Kinew can give families a break today by cutting the gas tax,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “When prices at the pump jump, the government shouldn’t pile the cost of taxes on top.”

The price of gasoline in Manitoba jumped by about 15 cents per litre since March 1.

The Manitoba government previously cut its provincial gas tax by 14 cents per litre for the entirety of 2024. The government hiked the gas tax to 12.5 cents per litre on Jan. 1, 2025.

A Manitoba family pays about $9 in the provincial gas tax every time they fill up a minivan and about $11 when they fill up a pick-up truck. Over the course of a year, that family will pay about $550 in gas taxes when filling up their vehicles once every two weeks.

The premier knows that lower gas prices make life more affordable.

“We have heard loud and clear from Manitobans that this has been something that has made a difference,” Kinew said in an interview with CTV News about the gas tax cut. “If it was up to me, the holiday would last forever.”

Manitoba’s fuel prices were the lowest in the country during the year the fuel tax cut. The NDP election platform says that the gas tax cut would remain in place “while inflation remains high.”

Before the gas tax was hiked to 12.5 cents per litre, polling showed that 70 per cent of Manitobans wanted the gas tax to be cut permanently.

“Kinew knows that gas tax cuts make life more affordable,” Haubrich said. “He needs to go back to what works and cut the gas tax again to save Manitoba drivers serious money.”