Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen

Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen says he wonders what it will take for the NDP government to listen to concerns about major projects being planned by Manitoba Hydro.

The Manitoba Public Utilities board this week suggested those plans go before an independent review to make sure hydro does not run up a large debt that leads to massive rate increases.

Goertzen says this isn't the first such recommendation. "The challenge right now is that the government isn't listening to anybody. There have been a number of different reports from a number of different agencies and institutions that have looked at the hydro line in particular, the Bipole line, and said it's crazy to put it on the west side of the province, not just for financial reasons, for other reasons as well, and the government just refuses to listen. I certainly can't understand why they turn a deaf ear to everybody and every report that says it should be going on the east side," said Goertzen.

He notes, as long as the Selinger government refuses to heed the calls for an independent review, any future plans by Hydro will be stalled as they are continually called into question by the various regulatory bodies that need to approve those plans.