The Heartland power line would cut right through the Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater riding and candidates in that race say residents have been letting them know they are concerned about the need and costs.
NDP candidate Mandy Melnyk said she has heard from many farmers who have already seen their power bills spike and can’t afford any more increases to pay for the line.
“It is the people who are going to be paying for the cost of these lines,” she said. “I am worried about how it is going to affect small business.”
She said her party favours a regulated power industry that would restore some balance to the market and would make sure the fees charged to consumers are fair.
She said since concerns have arisen, the government has spent too little time listening and too much time trying to ensure the public the government is right.
“They are acting like salesmen instead of MLAs.”
Wildrose candidate Travis Olson said he has heard about the power lines both as a property rights issue and a cost concern.
He said the government isn’t listening to consumer and industry groups who say the lines aren’t needed.
“Industry is saying we can’t afford this, consumers are saying we can’t afford this, but they are just saying we need this.”
He also said the ability the government has to push the lines through under Bill 50 is an overreach of government power.
“It is giving way too much power to government. Everything shouldn’t be easy for the government. We should actually make it quite difficult for government to take things that are the backbone of a market economy.”
PC candidate Jeff Johnson said his opponents aren’t considering the potential loss to Alberta if large industries and consumers can’t get the power they need.
“We have projects in the industrial heartland that will not be able to move forward without those power lines and without the power.”
He said industry groups know the power is needed, but admitted they are concerned about the costs.
“We have to take steps to mitigate that, but to bury our head in the sand and say these lines are not going to be needed is really short-sighted.”
The Gazette was not able to speak with newly-minted Liberal candidate Gino Akbari, before press time.
