Mr. Speaker, Canadian waters are protected from potential environmental disasters by the oil spill response program.
Canadians will be shocked to learn that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans may ignore the report of a panel of inquiry known as the Gold report and impose unfair oil spill response fee structures which will benefit the big oil companies at the expense of small independent competitors.
The investigation panel was highly critical of the proposed system, saying that the fee schedule would be unfair to those independents. DFO then squandered several hundred thousand dollars of taxpayers' money to dispute the recommendations of the panel.
The viability of the small independent competitors will be further jeopardized by the possible imposition of the fees being made retroactive to the fall of 1995.
If the minister allows retroactive payments to the major oil companies this could cause the death of independent gas stations across the country, thereby increasing gasoline prices for all Canadian consumers.
To protect our waters and coastlines and to hold the line on gasoline prices, Canadians and the NDP call on the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to implement the recommendations of the Gold Report.