Gas prices stuck again

MP & MLA are on it

BY PIETA WOOLLEY | pieta@prliving.ca

At the end of January, regular unleaded in Comox was selling for just under $1.30 a litre. In Metro Vancouver, it was the same (but they pay 12.5 cents per litre more in taxes than we do, so it’s really selling for the equivalent of $1.18).

Here in Powell River, prices at most gas stations have been stuck at about $1.46 since Powell River Living, with MLA Nicholas Simons and MP Rachel Blaney, hosted the gas prices town hall December 15. That’s down from 159.9 a litre, where it was stuck for nearly six months of 2019. We’re stuck, again. We’re still paying at least 15 cents more per litre more than our neighbours, for reasons no one has explained. Someone is making good money off of us – about $30 per driver per month. Who?

To answer that question, both our MP and MLA spent January following up in Ottawa and Victoria.

In the House of Commons, MP Rachel Blaney will soon present the petition signed by 108 Powell Riverites at our Town Hall. The petition asks for Industry Minister Navdeep Bains to: “Order an investigation of collusion and price-fixing, through the Competition Bureau Canada, of gasoline vendors in Powell River.”

Bains will have 90 days to respond. PRL will post on Facebook a video of Rachel presenting the petition, when it’s available.

“I am looking forward to presenting Powell River’s fuel prices petition in the House of Commons very soon and receiving a reply from the Minister,” said Rachel. “In his previous letter, the Minister said that the Competition Bureau will enforce the Competition Act when there is concrete evidence to do so. I have written the Minister again explaining what we know and asking for him to instruct the Competition Bureau to start an investigation. I will share any reply from the Minister with the community as early as possible. As your federal representative, I pledge that I will use all the tools I have to get you answers.”

ALOHA, FROM CHEAPER GAS: An anonymous Powell River resident, on vacation in Hawaii, sent this photograph and a calculation that shows gas there is the equivalent of $1.35 a litre, Canadian. He pointed out that, though Hawaii’s gas has to be shipped much farther from its source (Alaska) than Powell River’s (Vancouver), prices remain relatively low there. He also pointed out Hawaii runs two refineries, which is associated with cheaper fuel

Helpfully, five Powell River individuals and businesses have given PRL their 2019 gas receipts, to prove the case to the Competition Bureau that prices didn’t change throughout much of 2019. If you have gas records you’d like to share, please send them to PRL, or bring them in.

In a letter to the Minister, Rachel wrote: “Smaller, rural communities cannot be allowed to be victims of anti-competitive activity for lacking the capacity or resources to conduct a thorough investigation of their own before involving the Competition Bureau. As the Minister responsible for the Competition Bureau it is my understanding that you have the authority to instruct the Bureau to begin an investigation. On behalf of the people I represent in the Powell River area, I request that you do so.”

Meanwhile, MLA Nicholas Simons has asked for a meeting with the Minister responsible. The Minister has the authority to ask the BC Utilities Commission to look at records related to Powell River’s fuel businesses, and determine how local prices are set. He expects they’ll meet in early February. Nicholas will also present the Town Hall petition to the BC Utilities Commission in the Legislative Assembly this month.

“I am hopeful that we’ll soon find out why Powell River’s fuel prices are so high,” said Nicholas.

“Maybe this is a bit of a test case for the BCUC under our new legislation. When citizens, media and your political representatives work together this efficiently, you’d hope that we could at least get some answers. But we’ll see – stay tuned.”