Liquor privatization bill to be held back winnipegfreepress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from winnipegfreepress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
WINNIPEG In front of a crowd of striking Manitoba Hydro workers, the Manitoba NDP announced it would be delaying Bill 35. Bill 35, the Public Utilities Ratepayer Protection and Regulatory Reform Act, aims at limiting the ability of the Public Utilities Board’s ability to set power and gas rates. Instead, rates will be set by Cabinet order and the board’s approval will be subject to Treasury Board and government directives. The NDP also believes Bill 35 will open the door to the break up of Manitoba Hydro. “We are going to delay Mr. Pallister’s unfair and very expensive Bill 35,” said NDP Leader Wab Kinew. “They are going to be removing that public oversight for years to come, which is an absolute shame.”
The Manitoba NDP says it will block a bill it believes will weaken the Public Utilities Board and give the provincial goverment "carte blanche" to set utility rates without public input.