Page 2, Whitby Free Press. Wednesday, JuIy 5. 1995 BROOKS* REEBOK* BUSTER BROWN .~Also located in Peterborough, Barrie, Cookstown, Bowmanville PRICE QUALITY F SELECTION SERVICE Check out our selection of Ladies' & Men's larger sizes. You can entrust your child's care to Wee Watch. Reliable, supervised day care at a home in your neighbourhood. " Safe, comfortable environments " Stimulating dally programs " Trained, pro fessional Pro viders " Reliable local back-up for Pro vider's holidays or i/mness " Complete insurance coverage " Income tax receipts supplied 0 Monthly home inspections and, we welcome full or part-tîme care for chîldren from 6 weeks of age! For inform ation cati: e 686m39954.Watch®) a icensed Agency PheHmDCa ATELEHOP T Communications (Whitby) inc. 153 Brock St. N., (Whftby Lanes) Whitby 430-8031 or 430-121 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MP wa-nts notice of gas pricee hikes BybMike Kowaloki Ontario riding'e crueading Member of Parliament bas embarked on yet another figbt for Canadian consumers. Firet it was the cable tele- vision induetry, now MP Dan MeTeague bas the country's oil barons in bis sigbts. 17he Whitby representative bas sponsored a private member's bill that would put an end te sudden increases in the cost of gasoline. If approved by tbe Houe. of Cominons, the bill will prohibit oil companies from bîkmg gas prices, for example, before a holi- day weekend uniss sufficient warnmingj given te Ottawa. It does not regulate gas prices, nor give the gnvernment power te roll back increases it believes are unwarranted. The bill calis for written notifi- cation te the industry minieter within 30 days of any increase of more than on. per cent above the current price. \I i «Tu-s sbould allow for some measure of predictability and protection for consumners," MeTeague said of the bill intro- duced shortly before Parliament broke for its summer recees. «It's my belief that if they're gIng te act like a monopoly, thnthe should be regulated as such." As McTeague expiained, the impetus for bs lateet initiative was prompted by both the fre- quency f prie. hikes and wide- spread dîiscrepancies in the aniount cbarged by retailere, not just in different parte of the country, but also within a parti- cular city or region, be noted. "In January, 51, 52 cents a litre was standard, now we're deaiing with almost 57 te 61 cents a litre for regular,» said MeTeague. "An~d it'e considerably bigher bere than in Ottawa, Brampton, Scarborough or Peter- borough.» «I believe the residente of Dur- ham are being hung out te dry IIT 'NUTRITION CENTRE (NC. {(withtINs coupon>ý."ý 668-2661AnyI ýSupplement, 121 Brock Street North .OYFÃ" I Ojust N. ol'the four corners) Purchase::, OPEN MONDAY over,$5 TO SATURDAY (Offer expires Jul 31/05),: and hosed at the pumps.» Although he has y et to meet with oil company officiais to dis- cuss the merits of his bill, McTeague does not accept the industrys cuetomary defene for increasigprices. Explanatione of competition, gas price wars and market fac- tors only go so, far, MéTeague feels. «Right now it takes six months for the price at the wellhead to work its way through the sys- tem,» lhe said. "If tbat's the case, then there's no reason for a sudden and unjustified increase.7 MeTeague rejects the argu- ment that federal and provinc»'ial taxes are also to blaine. 'TMe average break-even prie je 44 to 46 oents a litre and that includes ail taxes," he said. «Everything above that je pure, unadulterated profit and it becomes clifficuit to jsiwat is a huge, huge cash grab." While Ottawa bas traditionally been reluctant to interfere in the oul giants' business practices, McTeage thinks bis bill may be treated differently. "The pat answer of govern- ment je that unless you can p rove collusion, theyre not wii- ling to do anythin that affects te marketplace,esaid. «lPm not telling them how much they can charge, but to do a better jo% of teliing peo2le how and why it wiil increase. McTeague je hopeful that hie efforts and public pressure may fore oil companies to b. more accountable for their business decisions. Earlier this year, Rogers Cable and other cable television com- panies backed off on an attempt to introduoe «negative option" marketing. The proposai -- which means customers are biiied for channels they do not want and the onus is on them. to cancel the service -- provoked nation-wide outrage. McTe e was on. of a hand- fui of poliicians calling for con- trois on the cabie industry and Making the Canadian Radio-tel.- vision and Telecommunications Commission more responsible to consumers. «I believe the oil companies would su pport inorming the public within a reasonable time period,» said MeTeage uThey would b. ableto justify vaiid p rie increases and assiet in combating illegal prie-fixing.» D riv er dies in accident A 48-year-old Oshawa woman was killed wben ber car collided with a transport truck on Cham- DISCOUNT HOBBIES Planes * Trains a R.C. Cars Rockets Plastic Models - POGS *Role Playing Games 214 Dundas St. E. Whitby 430-2236 1ura Cuts Quality Haircare Affordable Prices HAURCUT After2:3Opm 00O SPECIAL until 7:OOpm 16 PERMS $25.00 and up COLOURS $25.00 SPIRAL PERMS $55.00 and up MON. TO FR1. 9.00 - 7:00 - SATURDA Y 9:00 - 6:00 - g 209 DUNDAS ST. E.. W)-FTBY PTFFICE_1 (IN THE WVHITBY CORPORATE CENTRE) JOW020NDS <ACROSS FROM POST OFFICE) lï W#2ONA ROTARY CA$H (ALENDAR$ 0862-0931 0679 2907 2846 0234 0189 1 i- -,--