David Eby promises a temporary 10-cent-per-litre fuel tax cut and gas price limits in B.C.

BC NDP leader David Eby was in Surrey on Thursday, Oct. 1, to promise a temporary 10-cent-per-litre suspension of the provincial motor fuel tax. The cut is part of a two-part plan intended to help protect drivers from rising fuel prices during a tariff dispute with the U.S. Regular gas was selling for close to $2 per litre in Surrey, while diesel was about $2.70 per litre.

The second measure, called a “price guard,” would direct the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) to set maximum prices for gasoline and diesel at retail stations across the province. The NDP says the commission would enforce strict pricing rules and cap excess industry margins. Eby said the idea is similar to a system used in Atlantic provinces for decades. With Surrey-area NDP candidates beside him in a Fleetwood parking lot next to a Shell station, Eby said the plan could save drivers up to 30 cents per litre and as much as $20 per tank. He said a typical two-car family in Surrey could have up to $100 more in its budget each month.

Eby accused major oil and gas companies of exploiting overseas conflicts to make record profits, and said “corporate price gouging” has added an estimated $865 million to British Columbians’ fuel costs since the start of the U.S.-Iran war. The campaign pledge would cost the B.C. government close to $280 million through April 2027, according to a news release detailing the plan. The release said funding for public transit and upgrades to B.C.’s roads and highways would be maintained.