Mr. Speaker, the dramatic spikes in the cost of oil continue to hold the consumers of Quebec and Canada hostage.
Regardless of the international context, it is wrong to believe that the federal government is without recourse and has no means of curbing the increase in the price of oil or mitigating its impact.
On April 20 Liberals and Conservatives rejected a Bloc Québécois motion to create a petroleum monitoring agency responsible for preparing an annual report on all aspects of the industry.
Over the summer, the Bloc Québécois proposed an assistance plan for the most vulnerable: families on modest incomes, remote areas and the hardest hit sectors of the economy. This plan also recognizes that it is imperative to discipline the industry, reduce our dependence on oil and increase taxes on the oil industry.
Solutions exist, but the federal Liberals refuse to budge and to implement them for fear of upsetting their friends and contributors in the major oil companies.