When will the Liberals make any effort to stop gas price gouging, asks NDP MPP Gates

NIAGARA FALLS - Today, Wayne Gates, NDP MPP for the riding of Niagara Falls, asked when the Liberal government plans to take action to stop price gouging at the pumps.

“We need to end gasoline price gouging now. For 10 years now, the Liberal government has ignored hard working families in Ontario and their concerns with high gas prices. Drivers pay higher gasoline prices even when the price of oil has dropped.  Today the price for a barrel of oil is $52, yet drivers here are still paying an average of $1.20 a litre,” said Gates. 

Niagara families are leaving their communities to find a gas station with affordable prices. Instead of taking action to help hard-working people in the Niagara region with energy costs, the Liberal government is making matters worse with the sale of Hydro One, explained Gates. 

“Niagara families have been paying higher gasoline and hydro prices since the Liberals came to office. Higher energy bills cost us jobs, and if the Liberals sell off Hydro One, those bills will only increase even higher. Companies are already moving across the border where they can get cheaper gasoline and hydro prices,” said Gates. 

“The Liberals can end all of this by putting a stop to the sale of Hydro One, and by having the Ontario Energy Board regulate gasoline prices in order to reduce unfair pricing,” said Gates.

Five provinces and several U.S. states have some sort of gas price regulation which resulted in reduced price volatility, increased competition and efficiency, and eliminated opportunistic price gouging.