Competition, Audit Solutions to NSP Pension Grab: McNeil
Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says Nova Scotia Power’s attempt to force ratepayers to cover the utility’s pension shortfall would not happen if the Dexter government or previous Conservative governments had broken NSP’s monopoly and audited the company.
“This is a company that has no reason to look inside its own operations to find savings to address its own problems - successive governments have looked away and allowed Nova Scotia Power to run roughshod over Nova Scotians, taking more and more out of our pockets each year,” says McNeil.
“Now it wants Nova Scotians to pay for its pension shortfall when most people aren’t able to save for their own retirement? Enough is enough - if this company won’t look inside its own operation and make the tough choices, Nova Scotians need a leader and government who will.”
McNeil says NSP and its parent company Emera pull over $100 million a year in pure profit out of our province - he believes that the pension shortfall should be addressed by shareholders and not ratepayers.
“If Nova Scotia Power had to compete for your business like it would under a Liberal government, do you think it would be trying to make customers pay for their pension plan?” asks McNeil. “This is a company that knows Nova Scotians have no choice but to pay up or sit in the dark.”
The Leader of the Opposition says giving consumers the choice of electricity providers in a highly regulated market will change the game for Nova Scotia Power, making the power utility think twice before slapping each and every one of its costs on your bill.
“It’s time to pull the plug on Nova Scotia Power’s monopoly.”
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