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Gas Price-fixing

March 21, 2012 by · Comments Off on Gas Price-fixing 

Gas Price-fixing, Three companies, including Canadian Tire, have pleaded guilty to fixing gasoline prices in southeastern Ontario, resulting in combined fines of $2 million, the national Competition Bureau says.

Canadian Tire Corp., Pioneer Energy LP and Mr. Gas pleaded guilty to charges under the Competition Act that they consulted with each other between May and November 2007 to set gasoline prices in the cities of Kingston and Brockville, the bureau said in a statement.

The bureau said the charges were the result of an extensive investigation that followed evidence that local representatives of these companies were making phone calls to each other to set gas prices during the time in question.

“Consumers in Kingston and Brockville were denied a competitive price for gasoline as a result of this criminal price-fixing cartel,” Melanie Aitken, the commissioner of competition, said in a statement. “The bureau will not hesitate to take action when it uncovers evidence of illegal price-fixing.”

The bureau said it is continuing to investigate potential cases of gasoline price-fixing in southeastern Ontario.

As for the specific fines, the bureau said Canadian Tire was fined $900,000, Pioneer $985,000 and Mr. Gas $150,000.

In another recent case, 38 people and 14 companies were charged in connection to fixing gas prices in the Quebec cities of Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog and Sherbrooke.

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