Key takeaways:
- Premier says he wants a probe of the ‘possibility’ of gasoline price-fixing.
- Alberta Premier Jason Kenney wants the Competition Bureau of Canada to peek into what’s happening with gasoline costs in the region.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney states he will request the Competition Bureau of Canada to investigate “possible gasoline price-fixing” in the region amid worries motorists no longer see the advantage of the government’s fuel tariff cut.
This spring, the UCP government cut the 13¢ per liter local tax to give customers a holiday as pump prices skyrocketed to historic levels.
But Kenney stated in a release Friday that, over the previous ten days, “the gas price benefit Albertans have enjoyed close to other areas has vanished, and it now seems Albertans are no longer profiting from the tax cut.”
“As I said when we declared this action in March, we won’t receive any games being played with this,” the premier said.
Kenney said he met Friday with the Canadian Fuels Association, which symbolizes the nation’s transportation fuels industry, “to request an explanation” for why this has occurred.
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‘Albertans deserve to learn.
An official with the organization told CBC News it did not have a representative available Friday to speak about the matter.
Kenney said he had also spoken to the competition bureau regarding the case. Under the Competition Act, he said, it is unfair for competitors to decide to set prices mutually.
“Albertans deserve to know if this is going on,” he stated, adding he has told Service Alberta to find out if there are any tools the area could use under its Consumer Protection Act.
University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe has also been watching gasoline costs in the region. He said it’s essential to remember that gasoline costs increase and fall on various bases.
Source – CBC News
