Premier promises provincewide consultation on N.B. Power

Sam Farley · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 2:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Premier Susan Holt is promising a large nationalist consultation connected the aboriginal of N.B. Power, including meetings that volition beryllium held astir the state to perceive ideas from New Brunswickers astir the troubled Crown utility.

Holt says her officials are present designing a process that volition analyse ways to reconcile competing priorities, including keeping powerfulness rates affordable, providing reliable work and dealing with the corporation's $5-billion debt.

"We request a solution that's acceptable to New Brunswickers … which means we request a process that is unfastened and transparent, that is engaging and that involves New Brunswickers each measurement of the way," she said.

Holt said past week that large changes are needed with N.B. Power, whose executives said precocious they indispensable put $1 cardinal a twelvemonth successful superior projects successful the coming years.

That outgo volition request to beryllium recovered somewhere, but ratepayers are already aggravated implicit an summation to their bills of astir 13 per cent past twelvemonth and different hike successful the aforesaid neighbourhood owed adjacent week.

The premier said the authorities looked astatine ways to enactment disconnected that summation but wasn't capable to find a mechanics to "unravel" it.

WATCH | 'Every measurement of the way': Premier promises nationalist input connected N.B. Power:

There volition beryllium a fig of nationalist meetings successful immoderate signifier with "good coverage" of the full province, though Holt said it hasn't been decided however many.

She said she wanted to debar a repetition of 2009, erstwhile a erstwhile Liberal authorities announced it would merchantability N.B. Power, taking the nationalist by astonishment and provoking a large governmental backlash.

"This is the other of that. This is listening archetypal and consulting archetypal earlier making a superior determination astir the aboriginal of our vigor utility."

She stopped abbreviated of saying nationalist sentiment would get a veto implicit her government's decision, promising lone that she enactment "great value" connected it. 

Green Leader David Coon had called for a peculiar committee of the legislature to clasp consultations.

Holt initially said Wednesday that galore New Brunswickers whitethorn not consciousness similar coming to the legislature. 

But erstwhile it was pointed retired a legislative committee travelled the state successful 2004 for nationalist hearings connected Crown wood supply, Holt called that "something to consider."

Coon welcomed Holt's committedness to a nationalist process but said if the Liberals opt to merchantability the inferior — an thought the premier said is connected the array — the determination should beryllium enactment to a referendum.

"I don't spot however a authorities could marque a determination astir selling specified an important nationalist plus arsenic our electrical inferior without proceeding from the radical of this state directly," helium said.

"If she wants to spell down that roadworthy ultimately, past determination should beryllium a referendum."

Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Glen Savoie said it's important that the nationalist has religion successful immoderate the process is, and that determination is "a wide vision" connected what is to beryllium accomplished.

He besides called for a referendum connected immoderate solution is arrived at, "especially a sale."