Opposition Leader David Brazil says government should remove the extra five cents on gas in the province, even if it means adding to the deficit.

Brazil made the comment in a year-end interview with VOCM News.

The five cents was tacked on by the PUB to offset the cost of importing fuels following the idling of the Come By Chance refinery.

With that facility’s transition to renewable fuels, it’s expected the extra cost will stay in place for the foreseeable future.

Brazil says government could remove it without interfering with the PUB’s decision.

He says while he appreciates the serious fiscal challenges facing the government, he says the immediate need for help across the board trumps that, noting if that means adding to the current deficit in the short term, so be it.