ANDY WALKER: Bevan-Baker steps into the energy void

When Rob Lantz was campaigning for the Progressive Conservative leadership, he promised legislation to change the regulatory framework regarding Maritime Electric would be the first item on the legislative agenda.

As of this writing, over 25 government bills had been debated on the floor of the legislature — none of them having anything to do with the governance structure of the province’s only private sector utility. The premier now claims the job was tougher than he first thought and he still plans to move the matter forward at some point in the future.

In light of the government’s inaction, New Haven-Rocky Point MLA Peter Bevan-Baker stepped up to the plate. He introduced a private member’s bill that would have amended the Electric Power Act to shift the utility from what he termed a cost-of-service model to one based on performance.