Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Madam, gentlemen, good day and welcome to the committee.
Fundamentally, the important thing here is to maintain the public's trust. When it comes to weights and measures, there are some things that are more or less important. If we're talking about a scale to weigh calf's liver, errors are less costly than if we were weighing gold.
I agree with you as far as the title of the bill is concerned. Again, it's a bit misleading. Consumers are, as we know, quite sensitive to any variations in gas prices. If, in addition to that, we're saying that there may be measurement discrepancies that hurt the consumer, well that makes the bill even more attractive. Conservatives excel when it comes to such things. For example, they called the minimum sentencing bill Sébastien's Law. When they wanted to bring in amendments to the Criminal Code, they tabled the Act to amend the Criminal Code (minimum sentence for offences involving trafficking of persons under the age of eighteen years); the short title of this bill is the Fairness at the Pumps Act. The bill should have been called the “Trust in Measurement Act“ and that would have covered all weights and measures systems, include electricity and gas.
All, or virtually all, industry and consumer representatives agree that appropriate fines should be imposed and that these should not be left to the minister's discretion. Everyone agrees that proper fines should be imposed.
I don't believe that gas retailers manipulate the system. Just imagine how much gas a retailer would have to sell in order to reap some kind of benefit, especially considering the fines that can be assessed. I doubt very much that a retailer would do that. However, we need to take steps to guard against negligence. It's possible that when inspections are done, the devices are used incorrectly. How do we determine if the individuals using the weights and measuring devices are in fact negligent? The regulations may be clear on that score, but overall, the potential annual discrepancy between the price paid by the consumer and the quantity received is pegged at $20 million. That's less than a 1 cent a litre variation in the price of gas at the pump. If I'm not mistaken, that's within the limit. I don't really see the problem. To my way of thinking, the problem isn't fraud, but primarily negligence.
The costs involved range from $50 to $200. What does the industry think about all of this? How has it reacted in general?