Mayor of Calgary, Alberta calls for suspension of energy industry biased Bill 46

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

November 16, 2007

(Rimbey, AB) Today the City of Calgary called upon Premier Ed Stelmach to suspend Bill 46 pending full public consultation. In a letter addressed to Ed Stelmach and cc’d to Mel Knight and various Calgary MLAs, Mayor Dave Bronconnier expressed his concern over the dubious and contentious Bill. (See attached letter).

The Lavesta Area Group is not surprised the City of Calgary is calling to have the Bill suspended. We have always maintained this is a poorly constructed Bill that limits the rights of citizens to participate in utility hearings and in doing so; the Bill conflicts with the Charter of Rights and the Alberta Bill of Rights.

The Industrial Power Consumers and Cogenerators Association of Alberta (IPCCAA), who are the largest industrial consumers of electricity in the province and pay over 50% of all electrical rates, recently expressed its concerns with certain aspects of Bill 46. Rural landowners are united in their opposition to Bill 46 on the basis it is fundamentally flawed and now the City of Calgary has come out and opposed the Bill. Mr. Stelmach needs to ask himself, except for the foreign owners of some electricity generating companies, does this Bill benefit anyone living in the province Alberta?

Bill 46 is a sham and an embarrassment to the legislative process. It splits an underfunded and understaffed dysfunctional EUB into two underfunded and understaffed dysfunctional regulatory Boards. Other than reducing and eliminating certain rights of the Alberta citizenry, Bill 46 illuminates a contemptuous disregard for the democratic process of an arrogant government, bought and paid for by few foreign owned companies.

Lavesta Area Group enjoins with the City of Calgary and calls upon Premier Ed Stelmach to suspend Bill 46 pending full public consultation.

Read about Bill 46 at ” Groups we Support” on the right hand column of this website – KillBill 46