As the gas prices rise, so to does the interest of the politicians

With Prince Rupert residents paying between 116.9 and 118.9 a litre for gas today, there probably will be no shortage of folks going “you go Nathan”. Nathan Cullen, the MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley has added his name to the growing list of those looking for the government to take action against the whims of the big oil companies.

On the front page of Tuesday’s Daily News, Cullen outlined some of the ideas that the federal NDP would like to see in place in order to bring some relief to the public.

NDP ATTACKS ‘GOUGING’ AS NATION’S GAS PRICES SOAR
MP Nathan Cullen joins those calling for regulation of oil and gas industry
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Pages one and three

With gas prices sitting at an all time high. Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen is joining NDP leader Jack Layton’s call for a new oil and gas watchdog.

“We are seeing a huge spike in prices right across the country with the government hiding behind the Competition Bureau, who have done an awful job of this,” said Cullen.

“We know there have been spikes in prices not related to production restriction and if you had a national watchdog, on which there would be oil executives among others, it just makes sense.”

Prices in Prince Rupert have reached $1.16 while prices in the Lower Mainland were up around $1.29 in some parts of Vancouver.

Layton stood outside a Montreal gas station on Friday to complain that oil and gas companies have set record profits at their customer’s expense.

Clearly, they don’t need to raise the prices,” the NDP leader said.

“This is gouging, this is unfair… we think it’s important to establish some controls.”

Layton maintained that the new agency, which would monitor prices and seek to establish fair prices, would have an impact.

“When you bring the practices of big multinationals into the public eye, there’s an accountability that begins to set up,” Layton said.

He described the government’s attitude as “a laissez-faire approach that’s hurting too many Canadians.”

Cullen added that regulation is in place for other energy sources.

“The reason we don’t do it for oil and gasoline is beyond me. It is fundamentally wrong, we are getting hosed at the pump and there is just no way for the public to have any confidence in the pricing that is taking place right now,’ said Cullen.

The provincial NDP are also calling for a new form of gasoline pricing regulations.

John Horgan (Malahat-Juan de Fuca) the party’s energy critic, said his private member’s bill would allow a government agency to reject unjustified increases; electricity is already regulated that way by the B. C. Utilities Commission.

“Drivers feel they are being hosed at the pumps and they want something done,” Horgan said. “There is no reason gas companies should make profits exclusively at the expense of consumers. Exxon Mobil’s profits were $39.5 billion last year with the largest in U. S. history.”

Horgan said his bill was prompted by high prices here compare to elsewhere in Canada. Gas prices reach $1.29.9 per liter in Burnaby last week. In Toronto, the price was $1.09.9.

“The difference is unexplainable,” Horgan said. “Oil companies’ record profits are coming straight out of our pockets.”

Provincial Energy Minister Richard Neufeld was unavailable for comment but has previously said he opposes the regulation of gas prices.

And federal Public Works Minister Michael Fortier said creating another agency is a “knee-jerk reaction,”

“Governments do not interfere in these issues… What they do is try to create an environment where there is competition,” he said.

With files from Canadian Press and Canwest News Service