Booted cabinet minister calls for NB Power referendum

A New Brunswick MLA who was kicked out of cabinet for opposing the NB Power deal with Hydro-Québec says he is leaving the Liberal caucus to fight for a referendum on the issue.

Stuart Jamieson, the former tourism minister, said he was asked to quit last Friday because he wanted the government to hold a referendum on the sale of some of NB Power's energy assets to Quebec. The $3.2-billion sale would see Hydro-Québec acquire most of the province's power-generation assets, but New Brunswick would maintain control of its transmission lines.

"A lot of Liberals have talked to me about this and feel that there is problems throughout the province with the undertaking that the government is involved in," Jamieson told reporters Tuesday.

The MLA for Saint John-Fundy said he remains a loyal member of the party and is concerned the Liberals might lose the next election if there isn't a referendum on the energy deal.

"My fear is that the people of New Brunswick will not even consider the agreement unless they become part of it," Jamieson said. "My fear is that the Conservatives will become the government by default without one ounce of policy or direction, which was proven when they were in the government and is still evident today."

He said he would vote against the deal unless there is a referendum.

Jamieson was first elected as a Liberal MLA in 1987. He is not expected to run again in the fall election.

Meanwhile, Premier Shawn Graham said he is sticking by his decision not to hold a referendum on the energy deal even while admitting that his Liberal government has failed to convince many New Brunswickers of the merits of the sale.

"We have to do a better job in explaining why we're making these difficult choices — albeit necessary choices — on governing," he said. "We need to better engage the people of New Brunswick in the decision-making process."

Election date fixed

The Liberal government has no plans to ignore the fixed election date law and postpone this fall's provincial election despite dissention over the NB Power deal, Graham said Monday.

He said his caucus is behind the deal and there's no reason to delay the vote.

"We have a set date in place on Sept. 27, and we'll be honouring that," Graham said in Bathurst.

"We're the first government in New Brunswick to bring forth a set election date. Political parties can plan around that, and that's why we put it in place now, to level the playing field."

Graham also faced a caucus revolt in January when five Liberal MLAs, including Jamieson, said they would not vote for what was originally a $4.8-billion deal with Hydro-Québec.

Days later, Graham revealed a scaled-back agreement, and at that point he said the caucus and cabinet were united.

Past precedent suggests that if Graham wanted to skip the fixed election date law, he could.

A federal court dismissed a legal challenge against Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to call the 2008 election despite the federal fixed-election-date law.

Judge Michel M.J. Shore stated in his 2009 decision that the remedy for complaints about violating the election law should be dealt with at the ballot box and not inside the courtroom.

More defections possible

Green Party Leader Jack MacDougall, who contested Graham for the Liberal Party leadership in 2002, said on Monday that there could be more Liberal defections before the NB Power deal comes to a vote.

Another implication to a fall vote is the impact on MLA pensions.

There are 10 Liberal MLAs and one Progressive Conservative who won't be eligible for their pensions if they're defeated in this fall's campaign.

Graham said people don't run for office to get pensions and it won't be a factor in his decisions.