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Replace B.C. utilities watchdog

B.C. Utilities Commission becoming a lapdog for B.C. government

A few years ago the B.C. Utilities Commission turned down B.C. Hydro’s request to build the Site C dam on the Peace River in Northern B.C. Since then, Hydro and the B.C. Liberal government have simply bypassed the commission.

I used to think that the utilities commission’s mandate was to gather relevant information in order to make knowledgeable decisions and to protect the rights of the public. Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett, in discussions regarding “smart meter” opt outs, recently stated that the BCUC would obey the province and B.C. Hydro and do as they are told. Isn’t it time to institute a non-biased and free-thinking watchdog to protect the public interest? Perhaps one with the unwavering honesty of our previous auditor general?

David Waterhouse

Saanich