The price of gas keeps rising and there seems to be no relief in sight.

Foothills MP John Barlow says it's hitting everyone, and about to get worse.

"To increase the Carbon Tax when your already seeing record high fuel prices is unbelievable and completely contrary when Canadians are already struggling with the cost of living, high fuel prices, when fertilizer prices are skyrocketing and certainly are going to be worse as a result because of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, now you're going to continue to increase fuel prices, I just think it's insane right now, we just can't afford these types of things," Barlow said.

He adds that he's been hearing the Liberals and the pundits and "talking heads" asking why Canada isn't using agriculture and energy as geopolitical tools to show our influence on the world stage and wonder where they've been for the last ten years.

"This is what the Conservatives have been talking about for more than a decade, the importance of developing Canadian energy to displace conflict energy around the world and lessen the reliance of Europe for example on Russian oil and gas," he says. "We could be playing a very important role."

Barlow hopes what comes from the present situation is a realization that agriculture and energy are two critical industries that have a very important role to play in the stability of western democracies and lessening the reliance of Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia on conflict energy from countries like OPEC nations, Russia and Venezuela.

He says the federal government needs to do a better job to get the message out about Canadian energy.

"To have the President of the United States write a letter to OPEC asking them to increase the production of oil when you have a reliable supply that is developed under the most stringent environmental and human rights regulations on the planet right next door that you could have without any issues or political interference if you just expedited the approvals of Keystone for example, North America should be energy self-sufficient and there is no excuse whatsoever that we are not there, Barlow said.

He says when you have world leaders who are not making decisions based on sound politics and sound science it goes against everything we should doing.