Mr. Speaker, after this I would like to return to the debate as such. The minister recognized the importance of the issue and that it affects Canada as a whole. We share this point of view. However, we do not agree with the minister when he states at the same time that it is a North American market. He stated that Canada produces more oil than it consumes and exports it.
The problem is not with the world price. We know how things work at that level. Perhaps something can be done by the G-7. We take issue with the fact that the federal government is not shouldering its responsibilities under the Competition Act and in terms of monitoring the economy in general. It should go and find out specifically how refining margins are realized.
There has been something happening in the oil industry that has led to a very significant decrease in the number of refineries in North America. People talk about hurricane Katrina, but that is only a manifestation of the problem. There is a problem as a result of hurricane Katrina, but the organization of North American refineries has made any substitution impossible. The market is organized that way because petroleum is a very unique product. We cannot compare it to any other product in competition. No one can run their car on firewood. It takes gasoline to run a car.
Why does the federal government not follow through on our suggestion to create a petroleum monitoring agency and give more teeth to the Competition Act? This last item was requested by the last two competition commissioners. That way, we could get to the bottom of this. We will not resolve the problem by avoiding it. We have to face it.
As far as the tax is concerned, we are being asked whether this could help. If the money generated by this tax could be used to help us diversify the energy sources we have already and move toward renewable sources that are more environmentally friendly, this would be a big step forward.
From 2002 to 2005, the five Canadian oil companies made $27 billion in profits through taxpayer funded investment programs by claiming accelerated depreciation. Our constituents are paying the price. And it is not just individuals who are suffering, manufacturing companies are too. We hear the minister from Quebec say he cannot do anything about it.
When will the minister decide to take his responsibilities and get to the bottom of this issue of refinery margins so that our constituents can finally stop paying 10¢ more than they should for gasoline?