Re: Fred Slade’s letter “Gas prices not so bad,” which appeared in the Oct. 2 edition of Northern Life.
I would like to thank Fred Slade, the former federal Conservative candidate for the riding of Sudbury, for his letter published in Northern Life Oct. 2.
While it was certainly not his intention, his letter informed the riding that their local MP, Glenn Thibeault, is making Sudbury’s voice heard on the floor of Parliament regarding the unconscionably high price of gas.
Mr. Slade also provided us with a fine example of his party’s attitude towards such issues as the price we must pay for transportation (for northerners and rural residents, automobiles are more a necessity than a luxury).
It appears that rather than challenging the oil companies on why gas is so costly while oil prices are down, they would tell us “Just be grateful that it’s not as bad here as it is elsewhere, where increases have been even steeper.”
Canada is a major producer of oil and gas, not merely a customer. Why does the federal government ignore or downplay the high cost of gas? Perhaps because oil company profits take precedence over the interests of their consumers in Canada.
I believe that we owe a vote of thanks to our member of Parliament for raising this issue, even though the Conservative majority government is unlikely to do anything to improve the situation.
Chris Cosby
Greater Sudbury
