FREDERICTON - The Opposition has taken New Brunswick's Liberal government to task over the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro-Quebec.
During the first question period of the fall session of the legislature, Tory Leader David Alward said Premier Shawn Graham broke an election promise not to sell the utility and does not have a mandate to proceed with the $5-billion deal with Hydro-Quebec.
Graham says it was too good of a deal to refuse because it will lower power rates and reduce the provincial debt by 40 per cent, but Alward says the government didn't shop around for a better deal.
The government has released a report by a Washington, D.C.-based company examining the effects of the deal on power rates.
The report shows that most of the benefits would come after five years.
Government officials refuse to release the cost of their studies, saying those costs will be revealed after the deal is complete at the end of March.
