Fredericton – Today in the Legislative Assembly, Green Finance Critic and MLA for Kent North Kevin Arseneau tabled a motion calling for an end to Premier Higgs’ gas tax.
The so-called “carbon cost adjuster” came into place on July 1st of this year, after the Conservative government amended legislation to enable it. It forces consumers to pay for Irving Oil’s additional costs, in compliance with the federal clean fuel regulations. It has added as much as seven cents a litre to gas prices, making NB’s gas the most expensive in Atlantic Canada.
“New Brunswickers are facing financial challenges due to the rising costs of gasoline, which affects their daily lives, commutes, and overall cost of living,” stated Arseneau. “There was no need for Premier Higgs to make it legally possible for Irving Oil to pass on the costs of cleaning up their petroleum products to the people of New Brunswick, as there was a 36-cent increase in refinery margins in New Brunswick between 2019 and 2022.”
There is currently no way for consumers to get their money back after the Energy Utility Board reviews Premier Higgs’ gas tax six months after its implementation.
For more information on the Higgs gas tax: https://greencaucusvert.ca/higgs-carbon-adjustor-to-allow-gas-prices-to-rise-on-saturday/