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London MP slams Petro-Canada over rising gas prices
Those were the words used by London-Fanshawe NDP MP Irene Mathyssen in a media release issued today, regarding the soaring gas prices Londoners and all Canadians are facing at the pumps. Noting the average price at the pumps in London was $1.23 per litre, Tuesday (April 29), Mathyssen slammed one of Canada's biggest oil and gas companies, and both the Conservative government and the Liberal opposition at the federal level. "This morning, gas prices in London hit $1.23," said Mathyssen. "That is a great financial burden for the people of London. Meanwhile, we see Petro-Canada reporting a $1.1 billion dollar, first-quarter profit (up from $590 million one year ago). Where is the fairness for London families?" The NDP is growing concerned over the rising price of gas across Canada especially in London, Mathyssen said, calling the "gouging" unfair to working families. "It is unfair for working and middle-class families to be gouged at the pumps while big oil companies continue to reap record profits," said Mathyssen. "The record prices we are seeing are a significant pay cut for families. An independent watchdog needs to be set up to monitor prices and help protect against future gouging." She said the rising prices are not only a result of big oil companies gouging the consumer, but drew a direct line to both the Conservatives and Liberals voting against the creation of a petroleum monitoring agency, an April 20 motion put forward by NDP MP Brian Masse and supported by both the NDP and the Bloc Québécois. "The Conservatives and Liberals always support the big corporations, whether they are the banks, polluters, or in this case, the oil companies. It's time to put fairness back into the consumer's pocketbooks. Oil companies and energy producers should have to justify and defend cost increases," said Mathyssen. |
| Why would our Feds do anything??? They're busy building their own surpluses so they can line there own pockets with cash, Gas is officially a luxury! Cant wait till they taxes the hell out of food and water!!! Time for a revolution!!!! |
| By: Paul on 04/29/2008 |
| The government doesn't give a rats butt about middle class families. I am a hard working individual and i can't afford to drive my truck. When will we get a break. The rich get the tax breaks and people on welfare and immigrants make more than the average hard working Canadian. When can we start living again?? Or are they going to start taxing that too?!! |
| By: Nadine on 04/29/2008 |
| Yes, there are those who use public office to line their own pockets. Yes there are those who don't give a rat's butt about you. They are called Liberals and Conservatives. They serve their corporate masters, not citizens like you and me, but a lot of zombie-like people keep voting for them, or just as bad, don't vote at all. Government is bad because we keep electing the same kind of government. Irene Mathyssen isn't the same old kind of politician. This is someone who gets what it is like to be a working class family trying to pay the bills. I've met her, and yes she will talk politics to you--her policy ideas, and why the other choices aren't very good ones--that's part of her job. But when she talks about London, or her own family's experiences, or about growing up in the east end, you start to understand that this is someone who really cares and is working for her community. It wasn't so long ago Irene had an article on here about the federal budget not serving her constituents. Hasn't taken long for the world to prove she was right. Harper's gang gave the big banks and oil companies a $14 billion tax cut (while the Liberals didn't bother to show-up to work to vote). And today Petro Canada is posting a billion dollar QUARTERLY profit while we pay $1.20+ for gas!!! I guess they really needed that tax cut hmm. The only way we are going to keep any quality of life in Canada is send more Irene Mathyssen's and fewer Stephane Dion's to parliament. |
| By: Wes on 04/30/2008 |
| I'm SO tired of this "the oil companies make too much profit" whining. Billion dollar profit? So what? Without context, it means nothing. Capital expenditures don't appear on the income statement, and oil companies have HUGE capital expenditures. From fleets of tankers, to refineries, to offshore oil rigs, oil companies need those profits to keep those things going. You want to take away their profits... fine. But don't start whining when suddenly there's no gas at the local station because they can no longer afford the supply line. |
| By: Greg on 04/30/2008 |
| Capital expenditures are largely written off (more tax incentives), so...those expenditures don't touch their big fat profits which WE THE TAX PAYING CITIZENS OF CANADA ARE SUBSIDIZING!!! CORPORATIONS ARE NOT PEOPLE, but they enjoy all the competitive advantages of Canada's social safety net--healthcare, an educated work force, even infrastructure (a whole other issue and proof that we need reasonable taxation--roads and sewers have to be paid for somehow), and therefore corporations MUST pay their fair share! It is not that corporations should not be able to make a profit--but that cannot preclude reasonable taxation. Oil companies in particular just cannot pick-up and offshore, because the oil is here! |
| By: Wes on 04/30/2008 |
| Alright!! Enough! Irene has hit the nail on the head, but here are some more points to consider regarding the price of gas. Canada only ranks SECOND IN THE WORLD to Saudia Arabia as the leader in oil production. In Dubai they pay .41 a litre, so what gives? We should be definitely paying less than Dubai, but the Americans won't let us and Harper is letting it just happen. Nothing but sheer, disgusting GREED! Canadians are, as usual, taking it up the kester and letting their gov't walk all over them. You get what you deserve. Since Harper took over I have never in my life seen a more sickening display of take from the poor and medium income people and GIVE, GIVE, GIVE to the rich. Harper runs THE MOST UNACCOUNTABLE government in the history of Canada. He doesn't event SPEAK to the media unless it's under HIS TERMS. How is that ACCOUNTABLE? Or his cronies. The federal Tories are behaving like crooks and theives and YOU CANADA are letting them get away with it. Give me my electric car now! I have that right as a consumer. It all makes me sick to my stomach. Something's going to give, but you can bet on your life, it won't be HARPER! |
| By: SICK OF IT on 04/30/2008 |
| Canada has the largest oil reserves in the entire world. NOT the US, Not IRAQ, Not Saudia Arabia. We supply the US with millions of gallons daily. We will be building a new Shell refinery in Sarnia soon(hopefully). It will be Canada's first in over 20 years. The US hasn't been allowed to build a new refinery in 30 years. More refineries in Canada means more jobs for Canadians and better fuel prices too. Ethanol takes food and turns it into fuel. That food could and should be feeding the world. |
| By: WALKER on 04/30/2008 |
| Nothing like misinformation, conspiracy theories, and wild speculation to get to the bottom of an issue... |
| By: Greg on 04/30/2008 |
| Want good information on this? The NDP has a neat interactive page on their website: www.ndp.ca/gougedathepumps which is a real eye opener on the recent history of this issue. Thanks Irene, for standing up for average families. |
| By: shawn on 04/30/2008 |
| Isn't it ironic that one of the first things that former finance minister, Liberal Paul Martin did in his quest to pay down the deficit was to sell off the crown corporations that contributed from their profits to the Canadian Public in general. The private sector, composed of those wealthy enough to invest in things like oil companies now owns Petro Canada. Would Paul Martin have any oil company shares? To be fair institutional investors, of which the Canada Pension Plan is one, as are the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, and OMERS, the pension plan of ontario municipal employees. These well-paid public employees, have money in these now private companies. I suppose the pension plans of CAW workers are invested in similar private sector industries. Nevertheless, those Canadians who live from paycheque to paycheque, and cannot afford to invest in oil companies, which one commentator recently pointed out are the greatest recipients of the largesse of governments=taxpayers through the accelerated depreciation allowances in their tax agreements would be right to be furious with these companies who are making large profits, pumping a non-renewable, carbon-laden out of the ground to contribute the very global warming which is leading to so many changes the Canadian climate. With our pine forests disappearing maybe the rising prices add pain to a situation which makes us pause for thought. |
| By: Roderic Brawn on 05/01/2008 |
| that is what happens when you people dont vote ! or perhaps when you vote for the wrong party! |
| By: alex on 05/01/2008 |
| We Canadians could and should build more refineries and sell gas to united states instead of oil .Wake up Canada and Prime Minister Harper . |
| By: i hebner on 09/15/2008 |
| I cant believe that a minister is complaining???? WOW These are the ones who are taxing the crap out of gasoline. Go to caa website and make your complaints right to the ministers, the government is cashing in on these high prices just like th oil companies, they are 2 in the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! crookes, thieves, this is theft and all canadians are just sucking it up it is time for some action by the people. The taxes should be lowered for sure, oil prices are set at a world level or stock market. If Canada wants a cap put on gas prices this can only be done by the government............good luck |
| By: chris on 06/12/2009 |
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