Dear Editor,
Why are none of the politicians on the campaign trail talking about the outrageous price of gas and diesel fuel versus the very low cost of crude oil, and how Big Oil is gouging the motoring public and the transportation industry, and how Mr. Harper and his Conservative government are letting them get away with it?
Why are you and the rest of the media letting Harper and his cronies get away with this? Why are they not being held accountable?
For decades, Big Oil has been preaching the doctrine that it has been the increasing cost for a barrel of oil that has been relentlessly driving up the price of gasoline and diesel fuel at the pumps.
“Not our fault,” they kept saying. “We are only reacting to the rising price of oil.”
So now that oil is at a price that is 40 per cent or less of its peak price and still dropping, why is gas only at 90 per cent, or at best 80 per cent of its peak price?
One excuse given by Big Oil is that there is a production problem with the refineries being unable to keep up to the demand. Really? And who controls the refineries, and why was there no production problem several months and years back?
Me thinks that Big Oil is just regulating its production capabilities to manipulate the price of its finished products. In some industries, such controlling tactics would find them subject to investigation and possible criminal charges.
Other analysts have put forward the more believable notion that the real motivation for the very high fuel prices versus very low oil prices is to generate increased profits that can be funnelled back to its shareholders, so they are not tempted to sell their stock in response to falling oil prices.
That strategy might be keeping Big Oil’s shareholders happy, but what about keeping working Canadians and our transportation industry happy?
After all, it is our oil. It is a national resource that belongs to all Canadians.
Under Mr. Harper’s and the Conservative’s watch, Big Oil has been able to run roughshod over the Canadian consumer and transportation industry. They have been able to manipulate the market by controlling the production and distribution of gasoline and diesel products to the very real detriment of millions of Canadian voters.
Why is this not a front page story? Instead, the Conservative ads are bragging about their policies paying benefits directly to Canadians, while in reality their inaction against the Robber Baron antics of Big Oil are taking real cash dollars out of Canadians’ pockets.
And why are Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party, and Tom Mulcair and the NDP not taking a strong stand on this issue? Are they also in the pocket of Big Oil?
And what about your publication? Are you also beholden to Big Oil? Why are you afraid to investigate and bring this issue more to the forefront? What is Big Oil holding over your head?
It is time to say, “enough is enough.” At very least, we may need to bring back some of the pricing regulations that we had in the past.
I say that it is time to stand up and shout out, “Canadian oil for Canadians first, and shareholders second.”
Alex Boivin, via email
