PASPÉBIAC – Former Deputy Premier and Member of the National Assembly for Bonaventure, Nathalie Normandeau, is now denouncing the high profit margins taken by gas stations in the Gaspé Peninsula region.
“The margins that retailers are taking on each litre of gasoline sold in the Gaspésie are a scandal. It’s outright a rip-off,” states Ms. Normandeau unequivocally during her weekly appearance on Intersection Program at CHNC on October 17.
On the evening of October 19, retailers in the Gaspé, Chandler and Paspébiac sectors raised the price of a litre of gasoline from $1.68 to $1.75.
However, data from the Energy Board (Régie de l’énergie) indicates no variation justifying such a price.
CAA Québec estimated the average price in Gaspésie to be $1.69.
The former politician proposes to CAQ (Coalition avenir Québec) MNAs in the Gaspésie to introduce a private bill in the National Assembly.
“They could very well introduce a very very short bill that would contain provisions to cap the margins that retailers can take for each litre of gasoline sold in the Gaspé,” suggests Ms. Normandeau.
“I think this would be a very convincing way of taking action, and it would be much quicker than the Competition Bureau, which often takes years to conduct its investigations and deliver the results of its inquiries,” she continues.
“Will they have the political courage to do it? Will they have the political will to do it? That’s another matter,” challenges Ms. Normandeau.
Resolution in Rocher-Percé
The mayors of the Rocher-Percé MRC are also getting involved in the debate by adopting a resolution on October 18 denouncing high gasoline prices.
“Sometimes the price is much higher in the Rocher-Percé MRC than in other regions of Quebec and even in the Gaspé. We want the government to address this situation and provide answers,” says Prefect Samuel Parisé. According to him, the Competition Bureau and the Energy Board need to get involved.
“I don’t think it’s normal for my citizens to pay more than people elsewhere in Quebec,” adds the prefect.
“In every meeting I have with residents, I talk about housing, childcare services, and gasoline prices. These are the priorities for our MRC,” says the elected official.
The mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, is not giving up the battle, having launched the fight in 2019.
“There is a price control that seems very clear to me. It’s certain that sitting in an office in Ottawa, you will never find the problem in the Gaspé,” he says, commenting on the letter received by the CAQ Members of the National Assembly for the Gaspé from the Competition Bureau, which, in a way, asked for some evidence of collusion in the gasoline market in the region.