Mr. Speaker, just to recap a couple of facts, I simply want to point out again that it was the party across the way, the Liberal government, which raised taxes on gasoline in 1995 one and a half cents a litre, simply because in that case it said it wanted to get rid of the deficit. The deficit is now gone. Even in the wake of that somehow the government is saying it cannot cut excise taxes on gasoline. We need to recap that.
The hypocrisy of the government is incredible on this issue. Our friend across the way is saying that it is the oil companies that should somehow cut prices while his government raises prices. We have other Liberals who say that gas prices should be higher because it is good for the environment. The NDP says that constantly but now is trying to find a way to get out of that.
I am wondering how my friend across the way can justify calling for oil companies to do their job, over which he is not directly in control, when he is a part of the government that has raised the prices on fuel, something over which he does have control and yet refuses to do anything about it.
Could he square his ability as part of the government to lower the price of fuel and not do anything about it at the same time as calling for oil companies to do it voluntarily?