April 21, 2010
Conservative Government Introduces Fairness at the Pumps Legislation
It is estimated that each year, due to inaccurate measurement, Canadian consumers receive a full $20 million dollars less gas than what they pay for at the pumps. “Especially at a time when family budgets are still spread thin due to the global economic crisis, our Government finds this completely unacceptable” said Mr. Benoit. “When Canadians pull into a station to gas up, they want to know that what is on the pump is what is in the tank.”
Mr. Benoit explained that “the Fairness at the Pumps Act will require retailers to have the accuracy of their machines checked on a regular basis by independent inspectors. As well, the Act brings in court-imposed fines and a formal penalties system to back these fines up.”
Mr. Benoit added that the Conservative Government has put forth a number of different measures aimed at protecting Canadian consumers, such as:
- Increasing fines for companies caught price-fixing the price of gasoline;
- Introducing the Consumer Product Safety Bill; and
- Releasing a Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada, which promotes fair business practices and ensures that merchants and consumers understand the costs and benefits associated with credit and debit cards.
