Why is gas 20 cents cheaper in Manitoba than Saskatchewan?

While some Saskatchewan drivers are feeling the pinch at the pumps, neighbouring Manitoba has the cheapest gas in the country.

Gas prices in Manitoba are currently 20 cents lower than in Saskatchewan.

Patrick De Haan, head of Petroleum Analysis with GasBuddy, said this is because the Manitoba Government extended its 14 cents per litre gas tax break.

“The fact that the Manitoba Government extending its temporary cut to the provincial fuel tax until the end of September is why Manitoba is by far the lowest province,” De Haan said.

In May, the Saskatchewan NDP motion for a similar tax break was voted down.

“So what we have called for consistently is to be lined up with other prairie provinces and to cut the gas tax,” said Vicki Mowat, NDP MLA Saskatoon Fairview.

Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador have given tax breaks on gas.

“Whether you’re looking at neighboring Manitoba, whether you look at Ontario or Newfoundland and Labrador, families would save a lot,” Jay Goldberg with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation told CTV News on Tuesday.

“If you look at the specific proposal that’s being put forward in Saskatchewan, the average family filling up two cars every other week would save about $600 a year,” he said.

On top of the 15 cents per litre provincial tax, Saskatchewan drivers pay a 10-cent federal excise tax, five per cent GST, and the 14-cent federal carbon tax.

Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has called to suspend all fuel taxes during the summer months.

“It’s a multi-partisan issue. The Federal Conservatives have proposed doing the same thing, so I think it’s time for the Moe government to look at what governments all across the country are doing, but especially next door in Manitoba, and recognize that this is the right thing to do for families,” Goldberg said.

In a statement to CTV News, the Government of Saskatchewan said the provincial gas tax is important for building and maintaining highways.

“In 2024-25, Saskatchewan is investing $741 million to improve more than 1,100km of highways; an investment that would not be possible without that tax revenue,” it said.

The government said Saskatchewan is one of the most affordable places to live in Canada. It said the average family will be paying $400 less this year on carbon tax on home heating compared to a family in Manitoba.