BC’s Premier says she won’t apologize for breaking an 11-year old Liberal election promise to ensure the independence of the BC Utilities Commission.
Christy Clark is defending a controversial cabinet decision to cap electricity rates at 17 per cent over three years, before any hearings could be held by the commission next month.
“We’re finding a way to pay down the deferral account to
about 250-million dollars, at the same time, the rate increase is only going to be 1.4 per cent next year. I don’t apologize for that because keeping rates down is important in tough economic times for people and I just think it’s a common sense thing to do.”
Yesterday, Energy Minister Rich Coleman denied the move was political, but during the 2001 election campaign, the BC Liberals accused the former NDP government of meddling with the BC-UC.
BC Hydro was initially seeking rate hikes of 32 per cent.
Over the past two years, they’ve already been raised more than 15 per cent.
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