Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about how gasoline prices are, on average, being reduced across Canada. I am well aware that Public Works and Services runs our fuel delivery program. However, in general, I’d like to ask the Premier of the NWT some questions regarding this.
More specifically, I would like to ask the Premier, how can he address this inequity where fixed gasoline prices are in our small communities and will remain there until next year when the fuel is delivered this winter but prices will be fixed.
How can our government be involved to address the needs in the small communities when the rest of the world’s gasoline and heating fuel prices are declining?
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The communities that the Member is referring to are those where we resupply once a year, and whatever the price is at that time we pass it on to the consumer. We have a revolving fund, and in a lot of the small communities when the revolving fund is in a surplus position, we reduce the costs, in a lot of cases, by 10 cents a litre. But, generally, we pass the cost on to the consumer. It’s very unusual for the gas prices to go down. Usually they go up. We’re still waiting here in Yellowknife for the gas prices to go down, so I think you’re referring to a temporary spike and it will probably go right back up.
Well, gasoline prices in Yellowknife are a whole different matter, and I challenge the leadership of Yellowknife to address that with those companies that keep them there. But in the small communities, it’s the government that keeps the prices there. So I’d like to ask the Premier again, will he consider the special exceptional circumstances of world prices declining and people benefiting from it?
How can this government affect change in the small communities, so that communities like Nahanni Butte aren’t paying $1.79 for the rest of the year, Tsiigehtchic paying $2.01 per litre for gasoline? Those are fixed costs in the rest of the world and at some point Yellowknife will benefit. How can small communities benefit from the changed realities in the world? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The prices in the small communities will not change until the next resupply. So a year from now, when we do the resupply, at that time hopefully there will be lower prices in place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’m kind of saddened to hear the short-sightedness of that response here. But I believe our government can do better for our small communities and look at a solution for the interim to help reduce those prices in the communities because it is just so shameful. They are sitting there while the rest of the world’s gas prices, and heating fuel for that matter, that effects cost of living and poverty in our small communities.
I’d like this government and Mr. Premier to seriously consider the effects of gasoline and heating fuel prices in the small communities for this coming year. Thank you.
The government already has a Petroleum Products Stabilization Fund and it has a maximum value of $1 million. This Petroleum Products Stabilization Fund is intended to temporarily compensate for differences between the purchased cost and the sale price of petroleum products. There is always a delay between the day when new fuel products are delivered to communities and the date when prices to customers are changed. So, we already have a Stabilization Fund. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much. I know those are technical details that the Minister of Public Works and Services can certainly answer, but I’m asking, I know that the Stabilization Fund was used already and I’d like to ask Mr. Premier when can this government review that and also review a further reduction using this Stabilization Fund for this coming year, given that gasoline prices will continue to decline at this quarter. Mahsi.
Of course, we can always look at every situation, but generally the market determines the price and we pass the cost on to the consumer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
