News Release - April 7, 2008

VICTORIA - Unlike the B.C. Liberals, the Official Opposition is refusing to back down on a debate in the B.C. Legislature on private power projects, says Opposition Energy critic John Horgan.

"Last week, Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Randy Hawes backed out of plans for debate on his motion supporting private power projects, so the Official Opposition are bringing forward their own motion for debate today," said Horgan.

"There are growing concerns about the wisdom of giving private companies almost exclusive access to our rivers and streams for power production.

"It's time for a cooling off period to assess the environmental and economic value of private sector power projects. The Opposition's motion would achieve that," said Horgan.

Horgan's motion reads as follows: be it resolved that the Legislature support a moratorium on private run of the river power projects until a comprehensive review of the social, economic and environmental impacts is completed.

The motion comes at a time of increasing public concern about private power projects.

"The people of British Columbia deserve to know why the Campbell government is supporting the sell off of our public resources for private power interests. We're not letting them off the hook on this one.

"The fact that the B.C. Liberals are directing B.C. Hydro to purchase expensive new supply from private companies, instead of planning for new public sources of electricity, is short-sighted."

"Why not let B.C. Hydro plan for our future, free of the ideological blinders of the B.C. Liberals?"

"Maybe the reason they backed away from the debate is because they donated more than $35,000 to the B.C. Liberal Party," Horgan added.