Thirteen Liberal MLAs Attack Citizens for Public Power Forty Seven Times During Debate of BC Hydro "Anti-Privatization" Bill: Rh

The BC Hydro watchdog group Citizens for Public Power is asking today whether provincial Liberal MLAs are feeling too much heat from constituents over the privatization of BC Hydro.

The BC Hydro watchdog group Citizens for Public Power is asking today whether provincial Liberal MLAs are feeling too much heat from constituents over the privatization of BC Hydro.

In a rare display of invective and potentially slanderous language normally only seen in bitter American political fights, thirteen different BC Liberal MLAs participated in a coordinated attack on Citizens for Public Power during second reading debate of Bill 85 yesterday afternoon.

Energy Minister Richard Neufeld went the furthest in over the top rhetoric when he said that, "Citizens for Public Power actually wants to destroy British Columbia."

But the real reason for Liberal anger became clear when Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Jeff Bray said: "Citizens for Public Power has generated a lot of issues around BC Hydro and there's no question that in my community, correspondence relating to BC Hydro and public ownership of BC Hydro has probably been the single biggest issue that I've dealt with over the last two years."

John Young, Citizens for Public Power Executive Director, said the BC Liberals are clearly concerned that over 65,000 British Columbians have signed letters supporting a class action lawsuit against the government over the privatization of one-third of Hydro's operations and workforce to Bermuda-based Accenture. The first major legal case co-sponsored by Citizens (a Charter Challenge) to be heard in BC Supreme Court will take place in mid-December.

"For a government with such a massive majority in the Legislature to expend significant resources and time attacking a grassroots organization like ours' suggests that they are alarmed by our successful work in opposing their Hydro privatization agenda," said John Young. "This government cannot tolerate debate about BC Hydro - that's why it has yet to hold a single meaningful public consultation on Hydro issues."

Young said some of the Liberal MLA comments about Citizens might be slanderous if repeated outside the Legislature and said the organization will take action against any defamatory statements repeated outside the House.

"It's ironic for Minister Neufeld to accuse of us of wanting to destroy the province for opposing the destruction of a prized public asset, BC Hydro," Young said. "Bill 85, which actually allows the privatization of BC Hydro dams and other assets, only underscores the need for our continued work to stop this government's dismantling of BC Hydro."