THE BC Liberals on Tuesday called on the NDP government to immediately take three key actions to address out of control gas prices amid rising unaffordability and following Premier John Horgan’s repeated promises of relief measures dating back to 2018.

The NDP could immediately provide British Columbians with much-needed relief by taking the following actions:

1. Temporarily suspend provincial gas taxes.
2. Provide a one-time rebate through the Climate Action Tax Credit.
3. Suspend hidden ‘import’ taxes on gas brought into B.C. from Alberta.
“John Horgan has been promising to provide people with relief from rising gas prices since 2018. But here we are, fully four years later, and a complete lack of action from the NDP has left British Columbians paying the highest gas prices in North America,” said Peter Milobar, BC Liberal Critic for Finance.

“The BC Liberals have outlined three straightforward steps that the NDP could immediately take to bring prices under control and help people make ends meet during the affordability crisis. It is time for this Premier to step up, make these changes, and finally deliver on his promises to B.C.”

The BC Liberals said that gas prices in Vancouver have risen by more than 90 cents per litre since the NDP first came to power in 2017, and despite world events, B.C. gas prices remain 50 to 60 cents higher per litre than neighbouring jurisdictions.

Backgrounder:  Gas price relief options

John Horgan’s history of promising relief measures for high gas prices:

* “We’ll monitor it closely, and if there’s something more that we can do, we’ll certainly take action.” – March 3, 2022
* “We have…sophisticated public transit systems that are options if prices become too unaffordable” – February 25, 2022
* “Everything’s on the table” – February 25, 2022
* “I’m certainly prepared to look at any opportunity we have” – February 25, 2022
* “We’re gonna look at whatever tools we can to make life more affordable” – February 25, 2022
* “…if the price increases persist through the summer we’ll look at other options.” – April 4, 2019
* “We’ll see how it goes through the summer, and if there’s an opportunity to have the Province step in and help, we’ll do that.” – April 4, 2019
* “We are monitoring gas prices and we will take steps if necessary… We have talked about a range of options and we will look at them should the prices remain high over the next number of weeks.” – March 21, 2018