Why wouldn't oil companies pass new Quebec tax onto consumers?!

I read a Montreal Gazette article this morning reporting on Quebec Natural Resources Minister Claude Bechard's announcement yesterday that effective October 1, the province of Quebec will impose a 0.8 cent per litre 'carbon tax' on gasoline sales. In making the announcement, the rather naive Minister expressed his hopes that oil companies will absorb the tax and not pass it on to consumers. Why? Because they're obsessed with making record profits.

They're making record profits because they're not falling for what may seem to some as honourable attempts at convincing big oil to do something that would make it look like it actually cares about its customer base. Of course it doesn't! If it did, we wouldn't be paying what we are today each time we fill up. Margins are up at record levels and demand isn't waning.

If Minister Bechard seriously thinks that Imperial Oil, Petro Canada, Shell and their co-conspirators will step up, he should seriously consider looking for another job - he has obviously lost touch with reality.

This tax is supposed to raise approximately $200 million a year. Even with profits in the billions, $200 million is a somewhat significant chunk of dough for these "enterprising" mega-corporations. They won't absorb that much "loss". Has anyone noticed any difference at the pumps since our dear Stephen Harper led federal government chopped a point off of the GST? Nope, don't think so.

So when Ultramar tells Minister Bechard that it hasn't made up its mind as to what it would do with this tax, it isn't telling him that it will opt to side with the angels... again, if he thinks that is even remotely possible, his detachment from reality should be a major concern for Premier Charest.

Snap back to reality, guys - big oil cares about one thing and one thing only... its bottom line. Sorry Quebec - I guess you're getting stuck with a tax by your minority government - maybe there's something you can do about that! Remember what happened to Joe Clark a few years ago?!?