A politician gets gas

Yesterday was not a good day to launch a campaign against high gas prices.

After all many days of breaking the loonie barrier, prices at some stations in the Sault dropped to less than a dollar as Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson launched his Pump Shock here in the Sault.

Bisson was at the Beaver Gas Bar at the corner of Trunk Road and Lake Street for the first stop on his cross-province trek to tip the price of gas downward.

"I'm out as the transportation critic from the NDP to remind people of the promises made by the Liberal government when they were in opposition," Bisson said. "They said they would regulate the price of gas by putting a freeze on it and if the companies didn't get themselves into line they would put some type of regulation on it."

Bisson says he decided to kick off his tour here because he knew he'd get a warm welcome.

He also invited people to visit the Pump Shock website for more information on how to get involved.

"The Sault is a natural place for us because we know it has a long history of voting NDP," said Bisson. "It is also very affected by both the high cost of gas overall and the differentiation between gas prices."

In recent weeks the price of gas has seldom been below $1 a litre in the Sault and media reports indicate that in many cases, the only thing gas station owners' were wondering is whether they should buy signs with more numbers or not.

"I, as everybody else, am outraged with the price of gas," said Bisson. "And sometimes the differential on gas is just unexplainable."

Last week, gas prices topped $1.12 at some stations in Timmins, were around $1.03 in the Sudbury area and around $1.08 in the Sault.

"If you can buy a box of beer in Cornwall for the same price as a box of beer in Dryden, why can't you pay the same price for gas in both places?" said Bisson. "It's being done in other provinces and the Liberals promised that, if pressed, they would do it. So let's press them."

Bisson also suggested that McGuinty's government set up a gas price watchdog hotline, where people could call in and report predatory pricing by gas station owners.

Bisson actually picked up the tab for the lucky pickup truck driver who let him pump for this picture.

With a wave and a smile, Bisson then hopped into his minivan and headed out to Sudbury for the next stop in his cross-province Pump Shock tour.