News Release - October 20, 2009

VICTORIA- The B.C. Liberal government is interrupting a major review of British Columbia's transmission system to stack the deck in favour of their friends and donors in the private energy sector, says Opposition energy critic John Horgan.

"This latest decision to change the rules of an inquiry into taxpayer-funded infrastructure halfway through the process is more evidence that the B.C. Liberals want to muzzle our independent energy watchdog," said Horgan.

The inquiry, which is examining the future of British Columbia's electrical transmission system, has received an extraordinary level of interest from stakeholders.

"People in this province are concerned that they are going to be paying more for electricity so that friends of the B.C. Liberals can strike it rich using our rivers," said Horgan.  "The B.C. Liberal government has made it clear that they won't let the public interest stand in the way of their plan to slowly privatize our energy system."

The B.C. Liberals signalled their intention to interfere with the B.C. Utilities Commission during the summer, after the independent commission rejected the B.C. Liberal plan to lock British Columbians into overpriced contracts with private energy producers. B.C. Hydro was directed by the commission to return next summer with a revised long-term plan.

"Before the election, the B.C. Liberals justified forcing B.C. Hydro to buy overpriced private power by claiming we needed it to meet our domestic needs," said Horgan. "Now they are promoting private power for export to meet needs in California, not here at home.

"The government's latest interference with the B.C. Utilities Commission is another example of the B.C. Liberals putting the needs of private power producers above the interests of ordinary British Columbians."

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Media Contact: Jennifer Jones 250-889-6308