The MLA for Kamloops-South says the Premier has put himself into a jam by teasing some kind of relief for soaring gas prices.
Todd Stone says since raising the idea the Premier has done nothing to offer any tangible details as to what that relief might look like other than telling his deputy minister to find options.
“He’s the one who made the commitment that he was going to try and find a way to provide relief here,” Stone said. “Mr. Premier, we’re waiting.”
Stone says there will be no short term relief by raising the idea of adding refining capacity either.
“A refinery is an interesting concept, and there are folks like David Black who have done a fair bit of work recently on the potential for a new refinery somewhere in British Columbia, he added. there are people outside of Prince George who are apparently interested. There’s a group in the Terrace-Kitimat area that are interested.”
He says at the end of the day, getting the Trans Mountain pipeline built is the clearest way to increase gas supply and reduce the pressure prices down.
“Get out of the way on this Trans Mountain project that is probably the surest way that we can afford ourselves a reliable supply of the fuel we need in this province. With that added capacity, it would probably put some downward pressure on prices.”