The MP for Windsor West is demanding more protection for consumers who are being gouged at the gas pump.
Brian Masse wants the federal government to restore the Gas Price Monitoring Agency and brought up the issue during Question Period in Ottawa Thursday afternoon.
“Mr. Speaker, with gas prices soaring once again nothing protects Canadians from being gouged," Masse said. "A gas price monitoring agency was being established until it was destroyed by the previous Conservative government."
He said Canadians keep getting ripped off because gas pumps routinely charge people the wrong amount of money.
"When Canadians pump their gas, they want to know they’re paying the correct amount of money and to make this worse [is] that pumps are rarely inspected," he added.
Masse said Canadians are fed up and he is pressing the government to create a petroleum monitoring agency with a three-year mandate to collect and disseminate timely price data on crude oil, refined petroleum products, and retail gasoline for all relevant North American markets. He also wants the agency's director to report to Parliament yearly on the competitive aspects of the petroleum sector in Canada.
If Masse has his way, the agency's performance would be reviewed at the end of the term to determine if its mandate would continue.
“Canadians will not get used to unaccountable soaring gas prices," he said. "Canadians are fed up and they expect their government to do something about the price gouging going on at the gas pumps."
Masse said it is time for the Liberal government to support accountable energy pricing and support a solution. He concluded by saying consumers want a reasonable assurance that "big oil" is not taking advantage of them every time there is a price change.
Masse is also calling for a gas and oil Ombudsman to investigate complaints about the varying costs of oil and gas across the country. The Ombudsman would also give weekly updates on refinery oil inputs and petroleum production and report to Parliament annually about whether or not Canadians are paying too much for these products and whether companies fully complied with investigations.
“[Since] 2002, gas prices and consumer gouging have remained constant issues that no government will touch," said Masse. "Canadians deserve better and are demanding protection from big oil and gas."
