❓ Opposition asks the Premier about a six-week deadline for oil companies to regulate fuel prices, particularly the gap between city and country prices. The Premier clarifies the deadline and states the government wants the price differential reduced by several cents, threatening legislative action for price transparency.
AnsweredQoN 287Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Premier’s six-week deadline for oil companies to regulate in order to avoid government regulation of prices, and ask - (1) On what date will the six-week deadline expire? (2) Is the Premier seeking a narrowing of the gap between city and country fuel prices or a general reduction in fuel prices or both? (3) What criteria will the Premier use to judge whether the oil companies have complied with these demands within the six-week deadline? Mr COURT
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(1) On what date will the six-week deadline expire? (2) Is the Premier seeking a narrowing of the gap between city and country fuel prices or a general reduction in fuel prices or both? (3) What criteria will the Premier use to judge whether the oil companies have complied with these demands within the six-week deadline? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(2) Is the Premier seeking a narrowing of the gap between city and country fuel prices or a general reduction in fuel prices or both? (3) What criteria will the Premier use to judge whether the oil companies have complied with these demands within the six-week deadline? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(3) What criteria will the Premier use to judge whether the oil companies have complied with these demands within the six-week deadline? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(1) On what date will the six-week deadline expire? (2) Is the Premier seeking a narrowing of the gap between city and country fuel prices or a general reduction in fuel prices or both? (3) What criteria will the Premier use to judge whether the oil companies have complied with these demands within the six-week deadline? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(2) Is the Premier seeking a narrowing of the gap between city and country fuel prices or a general reduction in fuel prices or both? (3) What criteria will the Premier use to judge whether the oil companies have complied with these demands within the six-week deadline? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(3) What criteria will the Premier use to judge whether the oil companies have complied with these demands within the six-week deadline? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
(1)-(3) The Government proposes a six-week deadline from yesterday, not from the date of the report. The main issue that we want addressed is the differential in prices. The ministry is monitoring the prices in city and country centres. It has concerned us that on occasions the differential has been as high as 10¢ above what can be legitimately explained away. We have not set a specific target. However, the differential is unacceptable to us when it cannot be explained away as transport charges and the like. I appreciate that prices move up and down. However, we want the differential to come down on average by several cents. In relation to the transparency of fuel prices, oil companies have differing opinions of the definition of a true terminal gate price. The ministry is currently preparing a proposal for the Government on what it believes is the appropriate definition of the terminal gate price. We can request that information be given to us; however, under current legislation we cannot publish it. We will formally write to the oil companies seeking their permission to publish their information. All parties would have to agree. If they do not, we will amend the legislation so that the information can be made public. That is the only way we will get true transparency of prices.
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