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MLA wants gas hike review

Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 30/06) - Twin Lakes MLA Robert McLeod wants to see a public hearing on the 16 per cent gas rate hike for Inuvik customers.

For two days, McLeod has raised the issue in the legislative assembly. "The public utilities board has said that there has not been enough evidence of concern over this issue," said McLeod in his member's statement Monday.

"I take exception to that because I have been getting a lot of correspondence from people up in Inuvik."

Inuvik Gas upped the price from $16.70 per gigajoule to $19.35, effective Oct. 22. According to the NWT Public Utilities Board, the increase has been implemented. But if the PUB rules against the increase, customers would get a refund. Tuesday, Robert McLeod pressed the minister responsible for the PUB, Michael McLeod, on whether the board would move to a public hearing. According to PUB literature, the board takes a "light-handed" approach to regulating Inuvik Gas on a "complaints-basis only", which does not obligate it to hold a hearing each time Inuvik Gas requests a rate increase.

Despite complaints from local residents, the Town of Inuvik and MLA Robert McLeod from the floor of the legislative assembly, Michael McLeod was unable to guarantee anything.

"More than likely there will be one but at this point I can't confirm that," he said. "It's not clearly demonstrated that in every instance there has to be a public hearing."

Ken Jacobson, Inuvik Gas General Manager defended the rate increase.

"Even though we want to raise the price, it is still the cheapest heating service in town," he said.

"With natural gas there is still a 37 per cent savings over home heating fuel."