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The federal government is gouging British Columbian drivers hardest at the pumps, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The latest CTF report, released on the 12th annual Gas Tax Honesty Day Thursday, shows 37 per cent of the price of gasoline per litre is taxes split between the federal excise tax, GST, B.C. excise tax, B.C. Carbon Tax and provincial taxes funding transit authorities such as TransLink.
“Lets face it, TransLink is a bureaucratic nightmare and if they continue to be able to come up to the trough and feed more they will never get their costs under control and continue to hit taxpayers with higher and higher taxes,” said CTF director Maureen Bader of a TransLink’s share increasing to 15 per cent from 12 per cent as of April 1.
Bader lashed out at the federal Conservative government for failing to eliminate the GST on gasoline taxes.
Across Canada the average amount of tax on the gasoline is 32 per cent.
The B.C. carbon tax is scheduled to increase to 4.5 cents per litre from 3.3 cents per litre July 1.
“The carbon tax won’t help the government or British Columbians achieve some supposed green house gas emissions targets,” she said. “With people cooling to climate change it’s time for government to get rid of that tax.
“If we really want families to benefit from a higher standard of living gasoline taxes must be reduced.”