Kitmat Mayor sues BC Liberal Government

The Mayor and the City of Kitimat have filed a legal challenge to force the British Columbia government to prevent aluminum giant Alcan Inc. to export power from its smelter in northwestern B.C. The City claims the ministerial orders that allow the export of power is illegal.

"We believe the B.C. government overstepped its authority in issuing ministerial orders that allow Alcan to ignore its obligations in the original contract that gave Alcan access to the Nechako-Kemano water resource that powers Kemano.

Those ministerial orders allow Alcan to sell cheap power at huge profits rather than create wealth for B.C. by fuelling industry, which is the explicit premise of the original 1950 agreement." - Rick Wozney, mayor of Kitimat in the Vancouver Sun, April 15, 2005

The Mayor met with one of Campbell's cabinet ministers earlier this week, John Les, Minister of Small Business and did not like what he heard. Wozney told the Vancouver Sun the selloff of B.C. water resources is costing industry about $168 million a year.

It would appear the Liberal government have sided with the big company rather than with the laid off workers in Kitimat. Are any of you surprised?