The gouging of New Brunswickers at the pump
Well actually we’re all being gouged across most of North America but this is the story of New Brunswick.
A few years ago when regulation was being talked about I was against it. I figured the free market should decide what the commodity goes for, competition, etc. The gasoline companies more or less said the same thing. I’ve since changed my mind because the gas companies clearly cannot be trusted in this regard.
Today, we’re still paying roughly $1.40 a litre for regular gas, the same day the price went down across the country thanks to a rapidly declining price of oil and Hurricane Ike not being nearly as bad as first thought.
The price spiked on Saturday when the N.B. Energy and Utilities board jacked the price up, the day after Energy Minister Jack Keir sent out this news release stating;
“Gasoline prices have risen throughout North America today, as reported extensively in the news media. Prices in Ontario, an unregulated market, have risen by as much as 13 cents overnight. Because of our price regulation, New Brunswickers did not experience this rapid spike this morning. Regulation provides a measure of predictability, and has done so today.”
Funny, no news release today saying we’re paying among the highest prices.
Perhaps tonight the same board that raised the price will lower them.
But it doesn’t matter.
Gas stations should still be lowering the price. While it’s against the law to charge more than the maximums, there are no minimums and the companies should lower the price accordingly not because government told them they had to but because it’s the right thing to do.
This is why we have gas price regulation and apparently why we have to have it. You can check out how you’re being gouged at this nifty tool here.
Crossposted - Spink About It
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This site indicates that we should be paying around $1.16 a litre in New Brunswick,not $1.39 . The difference is all GOUGING and it's being done by one of New Brunswicks biggest corporate citizens. This refinery is not in the Gulf of Mexico and the price of crude is well below $100.
Gas prices are only one on many costs that we will be forced to bear. One has to stop and look at the other areas that we will all be painfully forced to pay.
The quality of life is going to change rapidly under the present Liberal and the Conservatives do not have a good track record. This is why there were replaced by the Liberals. Now there is no difference between the two major parties.
There will be political change in this province when people had enough of poor governance. The tide is slowly coming in for another third party with seats in the next provincial election.
More people will soon look at the NDP as their party.