Mr. Speaker, I know when the member for Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre speaks on this issue he speaks from his heart. He has good intentions to try to do the right thing not just for his constituents and the people in Saskatchewan but for all Canadians.
This is indeed a problem that we are faced with today. Sometimes we have to be responsible in what we say and how we respond.
The member referred to the 17 point action plan and what the government was doing. He referred to regulations as well. Let me point out very clearly that this issue has not just come to the forefront today. I remind the member and everyone in the House tonight that 47 Liberal members of parliament took on this issue quite some time back. They exhausted the research and brought the data forward. One of their main recommendations was to have an extensive study. That is why the Conference Board of Canada has been selected to address this issue.
As the ministers have pointed out in the past in their responses to the questions in the House of Commons, the Government of Canada is greatly concerned with this issue for businesses and consumers. The price of gasoline is not set by government; we all know that. It is set by competitive market forces internationally, depending of course on demand. Many factors influence the price factor, how it is produced and how it is brought to market.
Let me point out three things the government has done. First, Canada has joined its partners in the International Energy Agency in calling upon the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other crude oil suppliers to increase oil production in order to better balance global supply and demand.
Second, the federal government has contacted the provincial governments to determine what actions are being taken there since, I stress again as I have in the past, they have the authority to regulate prices at the pump should they wish to based on Canada's constitution.
Last, as I mentioned earlier, we have asked the Conference Board of Canada to do an extensive study on this issue. This is an inclusive process. It is not exclusive. We want to engage in this discussion and the findings, not disengage.