Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to point out that only Alberta and the Yukon have on highway gasoline tax rates lower than the NWT, and only Alberta and the Yukon have lower diesel rates. We haven’t touched our fuel taxes since 1997. Five other jurisdictions currently have regulation, with what could only be called mixed success.
The Conference Board of Canada has determined that while there may be some initial benefits, the long-term benefits are not there. In fact, in PEI, for example, in spite of all their regulation they end up with the highest before tax gasoline prices in Canada. In 2005, for example, PEI, which has regulation, witnessed and experienced the effects when an independent fuel company refused to supply. They said they couldn’t afford to supply the
gas at the regulated price because they were losing so much money, which created immediate impacts in the community and in the province, with the same also happening in New Brunswick.
So are we actively considering this type of approach? Not at this time. I committed in the House yesterday to share information we do have on this particular topic to discuss with committee, but we are not at this point planning to institute anything of this nature.