Madam Speaker, I am pleased to tell the hon. member that, in principle, his bill is a step in the right direction.
Since debate on the proposed reform of the Competition Act appeared to be headed toward a weakening of the existing provisions of the act and not their strengthening, it is refreshing to see a member across the way introduce a bill to strengthen those provisions.
However, there are still a number of unresolved issues. For instance, clause 50.1(2)( a ) of the bill states: a ) the supplier's own retail price in the same market area as that in which the purchaser customarily sells the product or offers it for sale, less
(i) the supplier's own cost of marketing at retail, and
(ii) the supplier's reasonable return on the retail sale,
What is “reasonable”? What is the “cost of marketing at retail”? This remains vague. I do not know how to address this problem, but it is nonetheless important.
Incidentally, I would like to point out that this bill does not completely solve the retailers' problem. I think it is also the opinion of the Association of Independent Distributors of Petroleum Products that this bill does not completely solve the problem.
In Quebec, to address the overall problem, we have established the Régie de l'énergie, which, more than a year and a half ago already, set for gasoline in Quebec a floor price that takes into account the wholesale price in the Montreal area, transportation, taxes, and so on.
This way, to help independent retailers, oil companies cannot sell their gasoline for less than a set minimum price. I realize we can also discuss that principle, but the idea is to listen, each year, to the stakeholders and see how the market is evolving.
If we agree that we cannot allow a monopolistic or oligopolistic market, we must take measures so that independent retailers can thrive and not merely survive. Times are very hard for many of them right now. I know that a number of them are desperately trying to survive and are counting on a review of the floor price that will be conducted by Quebec's energy board. After all, we have to define a guaranteed margin of profit, otherwise independent distributors will not survive.
I did hear arguments such as “we have to think about consumers”. It is true. But at the same time, let us not forget that consumers also include the producers who need revenues. If we only think about reducing prices, regardless of the impact on employment, economic development and small and medium size businesses, then we can have lower prices, but we will also have growing income gaps, as well as major social and economic problems.
Therefore, I support in principle the bill introduced by the hon. member for Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge. I wish him luck. But I do want to discuss the issues raised by his bill. I congratulate him on his work, because—and I agree on this with the hon. member to my right, no pun intended—we really need to look at how small and medium size businesses in the oil and other industries can survive.