Surrey-Whalley NDP MLA Bruce Ralston says cutting fuel taxes to lower thumping gas prices at the pump would only create a price gap that gas companies would then fill.
Ralston, now B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation, said in a press statement in 2019, following the release of a BC Utilities Commission investigation into gas prices, that British Columbians are being 乌鸦传媒渞ipped off乌鸦传媒� at the pumps.
乌鸦传媒淧eople feel like they乌鸦传媒檙e being ripped off when they fill up at the gas station. And they乌鸦传媒檙e right,乌鸦传媒� he said at the time.
But gas prices today, as any local commuter knows too well, have soared much higher than they were even back then.
Ralston noted the Fuel Price Transparency Act gives the utilities commission, an independent energy watchdog, the power to monitor wholesale and retail prices 乌鸦传媒渢o make sure fuel companies aren乌鸦传媒檛 taking advantage of the current conditions.
乌鸦传媒淎nd some of the price increases are part of, reflection of the rise in the world price and the government doesn乌鸦传媒檛 have control over that and neither do the local suppliers,乌鸦传媒� Ralston pointed out.
The government, however, does have control over fuel taxes.
乌鸦传媒淵eah, yeah, but what is very clear and I think there乌鸦传媒檚 been a lot of discussion about this, but what would happen if we were to take off or take away the fuel tax, for example a carbon tax? The gas companies would just fill that and take the money for themselves,乌鸦传媒� he countered.
Ralston cited 乌鸦传媒渁 very good example乌鸦传媒� contained in the utilities commission乌鸦传媒檚 most recent report comparing gas prices in Squamish with those in West Vancouver.
乌鸦传媒淚n West Vancouver they pay the TransLink, 17.5 cents per litre and in Squamish they don乌鸦传媒檛. And guess what the gas prices in Squamish are? They乌鸦传媒檙e higher than in West Vancouver. So they just fill it in, and they just take the money.
乌鸦传媒淪o we don乌鸦传媒檛 think in the long-term it乌鸦传媒檚 good policy to take away the carbon tax. I mean, we乌鸦传媒檙e in a climate crisis,乌鸦传媒� Ralston said. 乌鸦传媒淚 get that small businesses, whether you乌鸦传媒檝e got a delivery business or you乌鸦传媒檙e driving your kids to soccer, any of that kind of stuff, it is an additional financial burden, there乌鸦传媒檚 no doubt it, but taking away the taxes won乌鸦传媒檛 result in any relief it乌鸦传媒檇 just be more money for the gas companies.乌鸦传媒�
Meantime, Premier John Horgan is expected to roll out a plan soon to tackle high gas prices.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e working on that, I mean I can乌鸦传媒檛 get ahead of the premier乌鸦传媒檚 office on that 乌鸦传媒� there乌鸦传媒檚 internal discussions and processes that are going through,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e understand that that the crisis is now and the prices are up now, so don乌鸦传媒檛 think there乌鸦传媒檚 any effort to delay it, but you can乌鸦传媒檛 do these things at a snap of the finger.乌鸦传媒�
How does Ralston feel about paying more than $2 per litre at the pump?
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 not crazy about it,乌鸦传媒� he replied.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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