The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is sounding the alarm about Albertans being hit with higher taxes in 2024. “Drivers should fill up this weekend because the Alberta government is hiking its fuel tax on Monday,” said CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims in a Friday press release. “Finance Minister Nate Horner is jacking the provincial fuel tax back up in the new year, even though people are still struggling to make ends meet.”Alberta Premier Danielle Smith took to the airways in 2022 to advise residents substantial help was on the way and that she would be suspending the provincial fuel tax.READ MORE: Smith announces Inflation Relief Act and suspends fuel tax in Alberta“We are facing a very difficult time as a country and as a province,” said Smith. The Alberta government would suspend the provincial fuel tax for at least the next six months and make the current fuel relief program permanent after that. With the fuel tax suspension, drivers save about $10 filling up a minivan and truckers save about $130 filling up big rig truck tanks with diesel. On Monday, the Alberta government is jacking the fuel tax back up by nine cents per litre of gasoline and diesel. Alberta has a $5.5 billion budget surplus, inflation is hammering away at households with higher costs, and the Canadian government is increasing the carbon tax in a few months. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said the carbon tax will cost the average Alberta household about $911 in 2024-2025 after the rebates. Sims concluded by saying it is “mindboggling the Alberta government would be hiking up its fuel tax back up in the new year.”“The provincial government should be doing all it can to shield Albertans from inflation and tax hikes, but instead it’s jacking our taxes back up at the pumps,” she said. The CTF included Horner on its annual Taxpayer Naughty List on December 21 because he was raising the fuel tax. READ MORE: CTF releases annual Naughty and Nice ListCTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano made this addition after Santa Claus called into the press conference, saying he and Mrs. Claus were upset about the fuel tax going up. “Well you better go tell her to go fill up before the new year because gas prices are going to be going up here in Alberta,” said Terrazzano.
