Relief from high fuel prices still under discussion, says Furey. Not good enough, says the Opposition

As gas prices hit another record high in Newfoundland and Labrador, Premier Andrew Furey says his government is considering all measures to help people deal with the rising cost of living — and the opposition says it's ready to hold him to that.

Newfoundland and Labrador's Public Utilities Board increased the maximum price of gasoline by 3.5 cents per litre overnight Thursday, raising the cost of a litre of unleaded self-serve to as much as $2.284 on the Avalon Peninsula.

Prices in other parts of the province are higher: $2.31 per litre in central Newfoundland, $2.29 per litre in the Deer Lake and Corner Brook area on Newfoundland's west coast, $2.32 per litre on the island's Baie Verte and Northern peninsulas and as high as $2.40 per litre in Ramea.

In Labrador, prices range from $1.62 in central Labrador to $2.35 in western Labrador.

The prices of other fuels are also on the move. Diesel dropped 3.9 cents per litre in Newfoundland,but increased 1.6 cents per litre in Labrador.

Prices in Labrador now range from $1.71 per litre to as high as $3.02 in Churchill Falls, which saw a jump in price due to a switch to the summer blend of diesel fuel, according to the PUB. All other fuels, with the exception of propane, are still under a price freeze in Labrador.

Meanwhile prices in Newfoundland sit between $2.65 and $2.76 per litre.

The price of home heating oil is also on the decline, with furnace oil dropping 3.38 cents per litre across the province. Stove oil dropped by the same price in Newfoundland but jumped a whopping 29 cents per litre in Labrador. There was no information in the PUB's update explaining the jump in price. Propane dropped by 0.6 cents per litre.

Changes to gas tax 'an active discussion': Furey

Furey said soaring fuel prices and the rising cost of living were at the centre of his meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this week.

"We talked about a variety of issues that impact Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, including the cost of living and the pressures that families are facing. The stress and anxiety that's caused, whether it's from inflation or the price of gas or a combination of both," he said.

"He says he's hearing it around the country. Certainly I'm hearing from the other premiers, and we're all faced with limited levers in which we can pull."

The provincial Progressive Conservatives, led by finance critic Tony Wakeham, have called on Furey and the government to lower the provincial gas tax, which they say would give some relief to prices at the pump.

The premier and Finance Minister Siobhan Coady have previously said changes to the gas tax would be virtually impossible due to how the federal carbon tax's application in Newfoundland and Labrador was negotiated with the federal government.

Furey wouldn't say Wednesday if talks with Trudeau on the topic were productive, but said they are continuing.

"I'm still having conversations about certain flexibility that could exist, that potentially could exist.… That being said, they're very committed to the carbon tax," he said. "We're entertaining everything."

Wakeham says more should be done. In a statement released by the Opposition on Monday, the party said they're prepared to keep the provincial legislature open until the Liberal government produces immediate measures to help deal with the rising cost of living.

"We want no more talk. We want to know exactly what it is the people of Newfoundland and Labrador will receive from their government. It's not good enough to simply say 'we will consider,'" Wakeham said Monday.

"Don't just simply consider it. Do it, and do it now. Because the people of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador simply can't wait."

The provincial legislature closes each day at midnight, but Wakeham says the opposition will be able to keep the House of Assembly open through continuous debate on Bill 60, which would amend the province's Revenue Administration Act to increase the tax rate on carbon products.

Members of the legislature can debate the bill continuously as long as different speakers intervene every 10 minutes, Wakeham said.

"We have an opportunity to keep the debate going, and we're going to do that. As long as it takes," he added.

CBC News asked the Premier's Office for comment but didn't receive a response by publication.

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