Thank you Mr. Speaker. There is a serious shortage of diesel fuel across western Canada. Many drivers are nervous about the supply and whether it will dry up altogether. Most certainly the question out there today is how effective is the resupply going to be in the North, both the supply as well as the price. Those are important questions. In a recent news broadcast a spokesman from Petro-Canada said the shortage is due to an unexpected high demand this month from wholesalers. In addition, problems at several Alberta refineries have combined with diesel fuel in short supply. Two refineries have temporarily shut down diesel production. A third refinery is not producing at full capacity. What we have here is a perfect storm of problems, because this uncertainty is real.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend I went to Edmonton, and in a polite fashion, while I was filling up my vehicle, I asked the store clerk: how are things going? He said miserable, because they had no diesel fuel to offer anyone, and he said the supply chain is broken and is getting worse. It wasn’t at one gas station alone I heard this problem. I heard it at others.
I fear the situation could have negative effects on all Northerners. A slowdown in trucking deliveries could lead to shortages of products on our store shelves. That could be food. That could be gas to fill our tanks. Mr. Speaker, that could be home heating fuel to warm ourselves in this coming cold winter. Let us not forget that Christmas is coming, and I certainly hope merchandise won’t be shorted on our shelves.
This problem has existed for a couple of months now, and all indications are that it is not fully resolved and should not be resolved until approximately November. Some fill-up stations in the South are rationing the amount of fuel that they can sell to certain customers. Mr. Speaker, I fear that this may come here, and I certainly hope it does not. Some diesel fuel supplies from Eastern Canada are being delivered west so that this situation can be eased due to the shortage.
I will have questions for the Minister of Public Works later today to ask him what he is doing about the situation and how well aware he is of the situation. I want to make sure his department is on top of the situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.
