Albertans will soon be able to apply to receive a one-time payment of 100 dollars, a rebate the provincial government says is meant to help with the high cost of gas. But some residents say the amount falls well short of what they actually need to cope with rising prices.
Premier Danielle Smith said the government recognizes that families are feeling the pinch and is taking action in response. The new rebate will make more than 3.4 million Albertans eligible for the one-time 100-dollar payment.
The premier said the rebate is meant to replace the province's fuel tax relief program and to help with the rising cost of living. Gas prices have been pushed higher in part by the war in the Middle East, which has also meant increased oil revenues flowing into the province.
"We made a decision that people need the money now," the premier said, framing the payment as immediate relief rather than a long-term fix. The program is expected to cost the province about 300 million dollars.
The move comes against a difficult fiscal backdrop. Earlier this year, the province estimated a deficit of about 9.4 billion dollars, although higher oil prices could bring a surplus. The government said it is too volatile to say for certain whether the province will end up in the black.
Not everyone is convinced the rebate will make a meaningful difference. One resident said the 100 dollars would not even cover a week of groceries, while others questioned whether a one-time payment of a few hundred dollars at most is the best way to handle a surplus.
Some observers also saw a political dimension to the announcement, suggesting the affordability measure helps blunt recent criticism of the government over a focus on separatism. The approach drew comparisons to about 20 years ago, when then-Premier Ralph Klein gave every Albertan a 400-dollar cheque.