• Minister Pardy Introduces Legislation to Reduce Gas Tax to Zero

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-10-29 18:55:16.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Taxation, Finance, Affordability, Energy]

  On October 29, 2026, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Finance Craig Pardy introduced legislation to reduce the provincial tax on gasoline and diesel to 0 cents per litre, down from 7.5 cents and 9.5 cents respectively. Factoring in the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), drivers will save 8.625 cents per litre on gasoline and 10.925 cents per litre on diesel amidst record high fuel prices. The legislative amendments also establish a protective mechanism to keep provincial fuel taxes at zero for as long as oil prices remain above a specified threshold. This measure is part of the Provincial Government's broader Budget 2026 initiative, which has invested over $275 million in cost-of-living relief.

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• Minister Pardy Introduces Legislation to Reduce Gas Tax to Zero

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-10-29 18:55:16.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Taxation, Affordability, Finance, Energy]

  The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through Minister of Finance Craig Pardy, introduced legislation to reduce the provincial tax on gasoline and diesel to 0 cents per litre. This policy removes the existing provincial taxes of 7.5 cents per litre for gasoline and 9.5 cents per litre for diesel, resulting in total savings at the pump—including Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)—of 8.625 cents per litre for gasoline vehicles and 10.925 cents per litre for diesel vehicles. Furthermore, the legislative amendments establish a safeguard mechanism to maintain the provincial fuel tax at zero as long as oil prices stay above a specified threshold, forming part of the provincial government's broader $275 million cost-of-living relief initiative.

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• Provincial Government Cutting Gas Tax on Gasoline and Diesel to Zero Beginning December 1

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-10-26 14:15:53.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Taxation, Affordability, Energy, Finance]

  The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through Minister of Finance Craig Pardy, announced that the provincial gas tax on gasoline and diesel will be reduced to zero cents per litre from December 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The Provincial Government will introduce legislative amendments in the House of Assembly to enact these changes and establish a permanent mechanism to keep the provincial fuel tax at zero whenever fuel prices exceed a specified threshold. This measure represents $25 million in affordability relief, contributing to a broader $79 million cost-of-living package that also includes the accelerated Churchill Falls Electricity Rebate and a doubled Home Heating Supplement.

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• Premier Wakeham Announces $54 Million in Additional Affordability Relief

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-10-22 12:50:01.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Affordability, Energy, Taxation, Finance]

  Premier Tony Wakeham and Minister of Finance Craig Pardy announced a $54 million affordability package to assist residents of Newfoundland and Labrador with winter energy costs. The initiative accelerates the implementation of the Churchill Falls Electricity Rebate starting in January 2027, providing residential customers of Newfoundland Power and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro a 15 per cent reduction (up to 2,000 kilowatt-hours per month) estimated at $351 annually, costing $45 million for the remainder of the 2026-27 fiscal year. Additionally, the maximum Home Heating Supplement for households relying on furnace or stove oil is doubled from $500 to $1,000 for the 2026 program, providing roughly $9 million in relief to approximately 9,000 current applicants.

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• N.W.T. finance minister says no emergency relief from fuel price shock, but pushes Ottawa for support

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-21 10:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Finance, Energy, Taxation, Affordability]

  Northwest Territories Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek rejected calls from MLAs to slash the territorial gas and diesel tax—which generates an estimated $15 million annually—or provide immediate emergency heating fuel subsidies ahead of winter. Testifying before the federal standing committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Wawzonek criticized federal funding programs like the $2-billion heat pump initiative as unsuitable for northern climates and pressed Ottawa for customized support to address energy and affordability challenges where transport and heating costs are double the national average. She noted the territorial government already provides over $18 million in direct annual energy subsidies and warned that low water levels threatening the hydro system will force the territory to rely more heavily on costly diesel generation.

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• Power bills in Nova Scotia may spike as utility looks to refinance $1B in assets

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-09 15:30:07.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Energy, Finance, Affordability]

  Nova Scotia Power Inc. is applying for regulatory permission to refinance nearly $1 billion worth of assets, including coal plants scheduled for closure by 2030, through a financial scheme known as securitization. The utility states that the mechanism could impose a 2.9 per cent surcharge on residential power bills next year, contributing to a total projected rate increase of 6.8 per cent in 2027 when combined with previously approved hikes. While Nova Scotia Power maintains that lower interest rates from securitization will save customers $265 million over 30 years, Premier Tim Houston has expressed doubts regarding whether the accounting change will yield actual savings for ratepayers.

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• Narrowed rebate eligibility leaves some Nova Scotians worried about heating costs

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-01 21:16:24.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Affordability, Energy, Social Services, Finance]

  The Government of Nova Scotia has narrowed the eligibility criteria and lowered net income thresholds for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP), reducing individual caps from $55,000 to $30,000 and family caps from $70,000 to $45,000. Minister of Service Nova Scotia Jill Balser defended the changes, citing a $1.4 billion provincial deficit and a $33 million budget allocation for the program, which provides eligible households with up to $400. Advocacy groups, including the Ecology Action Centre, ACORN, and the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank, raised concerns over rising heating oil costs and high energy poverty rates, noting a 25 per cent increase in demand for emergency heating supports.

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• Residential Customers to Benefit from Provincial Government’s New Electricity Rebate

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-09-11 13:00:09.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Affordability, Energy, Finance]

  The Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced the Churchill River Electricity Rebate, which will provide a 15 per cent electricity rebate for residential ratepayers on their first 2,000 kWh of usage per month. Announced by Minister of Finance Craig Pardy, the measure is contingent upon the finalization of definitive agreements for a new Churchill Falls agreement expected by the end of 2026. Given that provincial households average 1,400 to 1,500 kWh of electricity usage per month, the rebate is projected to save ratepayers an average of $351 per year.

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