Petition urges against Yukon Energy privatization
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | 11:04 AM CT
CBC News
The signatures of 752 Yukoners who oppose the privatization of Yukon Energy Corp. have been added to MLAs' ongoing debate on the public utility's future.
NDP MLA Todd Hardy tabled the petition in the legislature on Monday, in which signatories "ask the Yukon legislative assembly to resist any attempt by the Government of Yukon to privatize or deregulate the Yukon Energy Corp."
"People of the territory deserve straightforward answers in this legislature on these kind of questions and they have the right to know if their locally owned energy assets will be traded off or sold off," Hardy told the legislature.
"They have a right to know who is in discussions regarding our future energy needs."
The petition is the latest in a debate that began in June, when more than half of Yukon Energy's board of directors quit in protest, saying they had learned the government was involved in negotiations they believed would lead to the sale of the utility's assets.
The former board members also leaked a confidential discussion paper that showed government officials were in talks with Alberta-based private company ATCO to merge Yukon Energy with ATCO-owned Yukon Electrical.
Opposition politicians have since been grilling Premier Dennis Fentie about who knew about the negotiations and when they knew about it.
"Will the premier admit that he negotiated personally with ATCO president Nancy Southern?" Liberal Opposition Leader Arthur Mitchell asked during question period on Monday.
For his part, Fentie tabled a letter he had signed in November 2008, indicating that he was only talking about a framework for negotiations, and that no deal was on the table.
"Once again there were no negotiations, merely scoping out discussions should there be future negotiations if needed," Fentie told the legislature.
