NEWS PHOTO GILLIAN SLADE The price you pay to fill your gas tank in Medicine Hat has remained stubbornly high. A local MLA is looking at ways to increase open competition.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
What you are paying to fill your vehicle with gas has remained stubbornly high for weeks in Medicine Hat and a local MLA is trying to find a solution.
“I am disappointed that gas prices remain the highest in Medicine Hat three weeks after many social media posts, media stories and concerns from Cypress-Medicine Hatters,” said Drew Barnes MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat.
On Thursday you could buy gas in Edmonton for 97.9 cents a litre, in Calgary for 107.9 and in Medicine Hat 117.9, according to Gas Buddy.
A month ago you could fill your gas tank in Edmonton for 88.9 cents a litre. In Calgary the price was 91.9 cents a litre at many gas stations and in Medicine Hat it was 117.8 cents a litre.
Barnes says this week he raised the issue on social media.
“In the hope service station operators and their suppliers would see this as a competitive opportunity and try to gain market share and customer loyalty by competing on price, as is happening in other Alberta cities, said Barnes.
A spokesperson for Gas Buddy told the News recently transport of gas from Calgary accounts only for a cent or two making the price charged in Medicine Hat out of proportion.
After the provincial government removed the carbon tax from the price of gas it dropped too 117.8 in Medicine Hat and has simply stayed there.
Barnes is on the record as saying he believes all levels of government have to ensure that Hatters are served with adequate competition.
He told the News this week he will be asking his caucus colleagues for their ideas. He also wants resources to help analyze the contributing factors to the lack of competitive pricing in Medicine Hat.
Barnes is also going to talk to government at the municipal level.
“I will be discussing with political representatives from Medicine Hat the possibility of more zoning opportunities for service stations so price competition can be enhanced,” said Barnes.
It’s collusion, undeniably, and should be investigated as such, but Barnes is probably just waiting for the next news cycle and people’s short memories/attention span to let them off without any consequence…
It’s collusion, undeniably, and should be investigated as such, but Barnes is probably just waiting for the next news cycle and people’s short memories/attention span to let them off without any consequence…