The Minister of Economy and Energy of Quebec, Pierre Fitzgibbon, sent to the federal competition authorities a report on the price of gasoline in Quebec in order to determine whether there is collusion between retailers in the setting the prices charged at the pump.
This document, which Mr. Fitzgibbon became aware of last week, was produced by an auditor commissioned by the government last November.
“We must examine, at the Competition Bureau, whether there is reason to pursue charges for collusion,” the minister declared in the House on Wednesday. The report that was received was sent to Ottawa because it is Ottawa, the Competition Bureau, which takes these measures if measures are appropriate. »
In a press briefing, Mr Fitzgibbon said he is personally unable to conclude whether there is collusion or not. “If there is collusion, it’s hard, I won’t conclude that,” he said. We see that there are movements, that there are regions where margins have increased in all species. »
Last fall, the minister had already sent the Competition Bureau of Canada a first report, this time drawn up by the Régie de l’énergie, on the subject of gasoline prices in the Quebec region. The minister then met the main retailers in the sector, then commissioned an expert.
The latter’s findings, which affect the whole of Quebec, were also transmitted to representatives of the federal authority. “They had the original report and they have this report too, so we will let them do their work,” he said Wednesday, specifying that the most recent document will be made public within 10 days.
You have to be a digital gymnast to look at the Régie de l’énergie website. It’s not easy, they recognize it, they are working on it.
Transparency
Mr. Fitzgibbon is currently reviewing the recommendations of the latest report to determine what the Quebec government can do. The minister did not rule out the possibility of opting for the tabling of a bill. “I think I will come up with two or three recommendations which will demonstrate that the government is very sensitive to the price of gasoline at the pump in the context,” he said in the House. And, at the same time, the federal government will be able to decide whether there are legal measures that should be taken. »
Until then, the Régie de l’énergie is working on a way to improve transparency regarding gasoline prices and the profit margins that retailers pocket at the pump. “You have to be a digital gymnast to go and look at the Régie de l’énergie website. It’s not easy, they recognize it, they are working on that,” declared the minister.
According to Mr. Fitzgibbon, information on gasoline prices could be presented in a simpler way by the regulator. “If on Monday morning you saw the price of gasoline stores in your region, there would be quite a lot of pressure. We could also see if there is a simultaneous movement, rising prices. »
In October, the Régie de l’énergie noted that the average estimated net retail margin of service stations in the National Capital had increased from 4.0 cents per liter to 10.27 cents per liter in two years. Previously below the average for all of Quebec, the estimated net retail margins of the Capitale-Nationale have been above the average for the rest of Quebec since 2021, the report indicated.