Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present three petitions this afternoon. The first petition is signed by hundreds of residents of my constituency of Burnaby--Douglas on the issue of energy prices. The petitioners note that energy is a Canadian natural resource, but that we have little control over this important resource. They note that the big oil companies that dominate refining and gasoline sales are free to set whatever price they want at the wholesale level and at the pumps and that these prices do not have to be justified in any way to the federal government. They note as well that Canadian households and businesses rely on energy and therefore have no alternative but to pay the higher prices.
The petitioners therefore call upon parliament to urge the government to set up an energy price commission that would hold the big oil companies accountable for the energy prices that they charge Canadians.