• Crude oil costs 25.8 cents
   
• Marketing 6.7 cents
   
• Refining 4.4 cents
   
• GST 4.3 cents
   
• Jean Chretien tax 10.0 cents
   
• Mike Harris tax 14.7 cents

Provincial gas taxes represent about 23% of the pump price. And taxes in total account for 44% of the current pump price. This figure will ratchet back up to 50% later this spring as the price of oil per barrel is expected to fall back to the $25 ranges on the news that OPEC will produce more oil.

Politicians can not control OPEC by they can control taxes. Currently Ottawa collects over $5 billion in federal excise taxes each year but returns less than 6% to the provinces for roads and highways. In Ontario, the government returns about 40% of what it collects in fuel taxes, licensing fees and road-related fines back to the Ministry of Transportation in the form of a budget allocation.

The facts are in, the feds and Ontario are the ones who are "colluding" at the pumps. Both levels of government are collecting gas taxes and not returning the full amount back to roads and highway improvements.

But somehow the gas busters committee is impervious to this fact. This is why the CTF believes this committee will take minutes but waste hours and taxpayer dollars.

If the gas committee wants to help it should summon Paul Martin, Mike Harris, and Ernie Eves to testify and explain why they continue to gouge motorists at the pumps. This would be the most constructive thing they could do. Until this happens, this is nothing but a gaspillage … that's

French for waste.

Tax Fact:
Ontario's provincial debt stands at $121.216 billion or$20,763 for every Ontario taxpayer. According to the Fraser Institute, our debt burden borders on third world standards. In terms of our ability to pay debt - debt as a percentage of discretionary income - Ontario ranks 90th out of 158 economies, just ahead of Haiti, but slightly behind Pakistan. In a national context, Ontario is ranked ninth out of 13 governments in Canada using this index.