NDP pledges to put Hydro bill on hold

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This article was published 14/03/2021 (2033 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The NDP has vowed to delay legislation tabled by the Progressive Conservative government that it says will weaken the role of the Public Utilities Board and lead to higher bills for Manitobans.

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew made the announcement at an outdoor rally in Winnipeg on Sunday — held downtown at the corner of Graham Avenue and Edmonton Street — with about 100 striking members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034 in attendance.

“As the Official Opposition, we have the ability to hold five bills over from this spring to this fall,” Kinew told the crowd, which included many people holding union flags or placards in support of the strike.

“We’re here today to tell you the first bill we plan to hold over is Bill 35, because we want to stand up for Manitoba Hydro, we want to stand up for Manitoba Hydro workers, and we want to do the right thing for Manitobans.”

The strike action began last week with some Manitoba Hydro workers walking off the job. IBEW Local 2034 represents roughly 2,300 workers. The strike comes after 28 months of negotiations in which the Crown corporation and the union failed to reach a deal.

Bill 35 is known as The Public Utilities Ratepayer Protection and Regulatory Reform Act. The NDP warns it would limit the Public Utilities Board’s ability to independently set and regulate Manitoba Hydro rates.

Kinew also said that Bill 35 is part of a larger plan by Premier Brian Pallister and his cabinet ministers to partially privatize certain aspects of the Manitoba Hydro portfolio.

“The only reason that Mr. Pallister is pursuing this agenda is for the reason he said this past March 11. He said he’s going to implement the Wall Report’s recommendations to break off so-called ‘non-core functions’ of Manitoba Hydro and sell them off. That’s privatization,” Kinew said.

A provincial spokesman responded on Sunday, calling the press conference “another shameless attempt by the NDP to scare Manitobans with false information.”

“If the NDP wants to address political interference at Manitoba Hydro, they should look in the mirror… Had they bothered to read the bill, the NDP would know that Bill 35 will in fact enhance the PUB and its oversight on behalf of Manitobans,” the spokesman wrote.

“Our government is also looking to strengthen Bill 35 based on recommendations from the Wall Report so that Manitobans will never again have a multibillion-dollar project foisted on them without proper approval.”

Mike Espenell, business manager for IBEW Local 2034, also spoke briefly at the rally, saying the union’s bargaining committee reached out to Manitoba Hydro Saturday to ask for a final offer.

Once a final offer is received, Espenell said, the union’s bargaining committee will make a recommendation to either accept it or reject it, before putting it before members for a vote.

“We’re not interested in prolonging the strike activity and inconveniencing our customers, or inconveniencing our members, any longer than is absolutely necessary,” Espenell said.

“To allow our members to be heard, loud and clear, we want to give them that opportunity by vote, so we’re going to give them that opportunity to vote and make their decision.”

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe