Premier promises provincewide consultation on future of N.B. Power
Holt says public will get say in utility’s future, Coon calls for referendum on any sale
Premier Susan Holt is promising a major public consultation on the future of N.B. Power, including meetings that will be held around the province to hear ideas from New Brunswickers about the troubled Crown utility.
Holt says her officials are now designing a process that will examine ways to reconcile competing priorities, including keeping power rates affordable, providing reliable service and dealing with the corporation's $5-billion debt.
"We need a solution that's acceptable to New Brunswickers … which means we need a process that is open and transparent, that is engaging and that involves New Brunswickers every step of the way," she said.
Holt said last week that major changes are needed with N.B. Power, whose executives said recently they must invest $1 billion a year in capital projects in the coming years.
That cost will need to be recovered somewhere, but ratepayers are already angry over an increase to their bills of around 13 per cent last year and another hike in the same neighbourhood due next week.
The premier said the government looked at ways to put off that increase but wasn't able to find a mechanism to "unravel" it.
There will be a number of public meetings in some form with "good coverage" of the entire province, though Holt said it hasn't been decided how many.
She said she wanted to avoid a repeat of 2009, when a previous Liberal government announced it would sell N.B. Power, taking the public by surprise and provoking a major political backlash.
"This is the opposite of that. This is listening first and consulting first before making a serious decision about the future of our energy utility."
She stopped short of saying public sentiment would get a veto over her government's decision, promising only that she put "great value" on it.
Green Leader David Coon had called for a special committee of the legislature to hold consultations.
Holt initially said Wednesday that many New Brunswickers may not feel like coming to the legislature.
But when it was pointed out a legislative committee travelled the province in 2004 for public hearings on Crown wood supply, Holt called that "something to consider."
Coon welcomed Holt's commitment to a public process but said if the Liberals opt to sell the utility — an idea the premier said is on the table — the decision should be put to a referendum.
"I don't see how a government could make a decision about selling such an important public asset as our electrical utility without hearing from the people of this province directly," he said.
"If she wants to go down that road ultimately, then there should be a referendum."
Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Glen Savoie said it's important that the public has faith in whatever the process is, and that there is "a clear vision" on what is to be accomplished.
He also called for a referendum on whatever solution is arrived at, "especially a sale."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
