About 80 people marched through the town of Woodstock, N.B., Saturday to protest the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro-Québec.

The group wants to see the issue made a referendum question during the next provincial election campaign, said organizer Gerald MacPherson.

"I don't think the facts are going to be out there until there is an election on the issue," said MacPherson, who worked on Premier Shawn Graham's election campaign, as well as the campaigns of many of Graham's cabinet ministers.

"If there's things not being said to the public, or I'm not hearing through the grapevine on the positive end, I even would welcome that," he said. "My main beef is that the people should decide during an election."

MacPherson said no one from government accepted his invitation to attend the rally to better defend the controversial deal.

In October, the New Brunswick government announced an agreement to sell the majority of NB Power's assets to Hydro-Québec for $4.8 billion, which would immediately erase the utility's debt.

Under the deal, New Brunswick residential power rates would be frozen for five years and large industrial rates cut by about 30 per cent to match Quebec levels.

Progressive Conservative Leader David Alward has called on the government to call an election over the proposed sale.