PUMP SHOCK TOUR 06

The NDP's gas price critic launched his latest Pump Shock Tour with stops in Toronto, Hamilton, London, Chatam, Windsor and Kitchener.

Gilles Bisson today called on Dalton McGuinty to protect Ontario consumers from gas price rip-offs by regulating gasoline prices

“The time has come for gas price regulation in the province of Ontario,” Bisson said as he kicked off his second annual Pump Shock province-wide road trip.

“Gas price regulation is all about stopping gas price volatility, eliminating opportunistic price gouging and delivering fair, stable and predictable fuel prices and lower gas prices over the long haul. We think that is what’s best for Ontario motorists,” he said.

Gas price regulation is the law in every Eastern province except Ontario. Jurisdictions with gas price regulation have seen an end to wild price fluctuations, a shrinking of price discrepancies between rural and urban communities and lower annualized gas prices.

“Ontario motorists are suffering from gas price hangover. They wake up in the morning with the car running on empty and gas prices are 10 cents higher than they were at bedtime,” Bisson said.

“Clearly - Dalton McGuinty is letting down drivers. He said he was on their side. He promised gas price predictability. He vowed no more volatility. Those are more Liberal broken promises,” he said.

Here is how gas price regulation works. Every two weeks, a provincial gas price review board (in Ontario’s case – likely the Ontario Energy Board) determines the price of gas for all gas stations across the province. The board sets the price taking into account the market cost of product, legitimate transportation costs and fairness to consumers. The price remains locked in for two weeks, with some flexibility for wholesalers and retailers to drop prices.

There is broad support for gas price regulation. It is supported by the Canadian Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association, which represents 25 per cent of Ontario’s retail gas market. What’s more – a recent Ipsos-Reid poll found 70 per cent of Ontarians support regulated gas prices.

Bisson urged drivers to visit the "Pump Shock" website at www.ontariondp.com/pumpshock. The site gives people the chance to have their say by telling their stories and signing an online petition supporting gas price regulation.

"Do you suffer from pain at the pumps? Fight back. Sign the Pump Shock petition and tell Dalton McGuinty it's time to regulate gas prices – for fair, stable and predictable gas prices," Bisson said.

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