Petitcodiac crowd protests NB Power sale
Last Updated: Monday, November 23, 2009 | 4:41 PM AT
CBC News
Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles, outside his constituency office in Petitcodiac, N.B., speaks to demonstrators opposed to the sale of NB Power. (CBC)Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles was confronted by a group protesting the proposed sale of NB Power outside of his riding office in Petitcodiac, N.B., on Monday.
About 50 people gathered in front of his office, many carrying signs objecting to the deal, which would sell the majority of NB Power's assets to Hydro-Quebec.
Stiles came out and answered questions from the crowd for about 20 minutes.
Carol Black was one of the people on hand to grill Stiles.
"Wally, can you sir, look the people of New Brunswick directly in the eye and reassure us that this is the best thing that's ever happened to us?" Black asked.
"That we are definitely going to come ahead six years after this is signed? Can you promise me that we are going to be safe, the seniors of New Brunswick who can hardly pay our power bills and taxes now?"
The protesters demanded a referendum or an early provincial election and asked Stiles why Premier Shawn Graham had gone back on his promise not to sell NB Power.
"An opportunity came along, Quebec didn't look for us," Stiles said.
He was interrupted by members of the crowd shouting, "An opportunity for who?"
"It's an opportunity for New Brunswick to get out of debt, for NB Power to get rid of 40 per cent of the total debt in the province," Stiles continued.
"There's a lot of good things in this deal that are good for you and I, they're also good for your kids and your grandkids."
Bethany Thorne-Dykstra, who ran against Stiles in the 2003 provincial election, also asked Stiles whether he’d read the deal's fine print.
"You're voting for me and my family and my people here. You'd better read the damn thing or you'd better give us a vote and you have the right to say as a cabinet minister whether we can say Yes or No on this deal," she said.
"Shawn [Graham]'s going down and Stiles is going down," Thorne-Dykstra added.
Many protesters told Stiles that they want him to vote against the agreement when it comes up in the legislature next March.
Stiles told the crowd the first opportunity they would have to show how they feel about the power deal will be at the polls next fall, after the deal with Hydro-Québec is scheduled to be finalized.
