Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I stand, as well as a lot of Members in this Assembly will stand, with Northerners. We feel we need to be meek no more and we want to stand up against big oil and corporate greed. I need not teach this House a lesson on cost of living. It’s something we all understand very well, but the problem is Northerners are being priced out and certainly being outpaced by the cost of living here in the North.
The status quo can no longer be defended by ignoring this problem. We must call these people and these protection measures to account by asking for regulation of gasoline. The time has long passed and every Northerner out there knows it. Five provinces in Canada stand with their citizens. It’s time the GNWT stands with their citizens. We must confront the status quo by taking this fight to the very end. This hill is one worth charging up against. It’s one worth dying on. Fuel price regulation is an important issue.
Now, I expect the government to resist as they always resist all good ideas, and better yet, they will probably fight this to the very end and feel that there will be endless amounts of paperwork to justify why status quo is so important, why Northerners matter less in their view, and why big oil should be protected. I expect that fight, but concerns from Northerners about price fixing will continue until this government does something. It’s about proving the price, ensuring that our Northerners are protected.
We all see prices go up and down all over the world. They go up in Edmonton. They go up in the North, but when they go down in Edmonton, they do not go down here in the North.
People sit here puzzled, wondering why Northerners need to continue to pay unfair, high, inflated prices. The cost of living is being impacted here. It hurts every Northerner. I don’t blame the local on-the-ground vendor who does supply that fuel by the big oil. They’re just doing their job. They don’t set those prices because the people who do set those prices live in Toronto, they live in New York, they live in Houston. The only time they come north is when they want to come inspect and maybe fly north to the Sahtu or maybe in other regions to inspect their assets and maybe even go fishing. But the fact is, they have no vested interest on what it’s like with the cost of living here in the North.
The problem is simple: We need to find a solution. Five Canadian provinces had the courage to push back. Today I ask this government to have the courage and push back. Are they standing with big oil or are they standing with Northerners? It is our job to fight for Northerners and certainly for their protection and most definitely in the public’s interest.
So will this government care about Northerners or will this government care about big oil? Now, government will continue the narrative about, my goodness, we have consumer protection. Well, I can tell you, for a fact, the public does not have confidence in our consumer protection and I’ll tell you why. The reality truly on the ground is they have mandate, they have no teeth to protect. Now, we could run complaints up the flagpole and go to a higher source, but the reality is, it’s too expensive for the little guy to go out there and fight the machine. It’s almost impossible to prove collusion. So apathy continues because people do not believe their government stands with them. They believe that their government has other alternative objectives. They’re busy with other ideas, they’re busy with other things, but when does government’s attention say we must protect the cost of living of the little guy? It’s a telling story in and of itself.
I’m not suggesting government is evil or our government is evil by any ways, but I’ll say status quo in itself is evil. So the price fluctuates all over the North, but it only cranks up here for Northerners. It grows whether you live in Fort Smith, they’re all stuck the same as Yellowknife. Whether you live in Fort Providence, it sucks, the prices do not show competitive ranges and that type of philosophy must end.
Sorry, Mr. Speaker, my passion is certainly getting the best of me. It’s time this government starts fighting for the everyday citizen and defend the Northerners’ interest, the public’s interest, our interest. We must rally against the status quo. If this Cabinet wants to snuggle up warm and comfortable in the embrace of big oil and status quo, they’re welcome to, but don’t defend it to me. Defend it to the 43,000 people out these doors because they deserve answers and certainly not excuses. Remember, there are 43,000 people outside of this building right now trying to get by. So do they stand with Northerners or do they stand for big oil?
We cannot accept status quo because that’s what managers do. Leaders challenge it every day. So in closing to my opening comments, I want to say there are no 50 shades of grey on this issue; it is black, it is white. So either Cabinet will stand with the people or they’ll stand with big oil.
So, in case I forget later, I’ll say we deserve a full account of this motion. So I would like a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I’ll allow the mover of the motion… Okay. The mover of the motion asks for a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.
Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Moses, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Blake, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Dolynny, Mr. Nadli, Ms. Bisaro.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
Mr. Bromley, Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. McLeod – Yellowknife South, Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Ramsay, Mr. McLeod – Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Those in favour, nine; those against, zero; abstentions, nine. It’s a tie. The motion is carried.
---Carried
