Power of the press

WE SAID... on in an editorial on Sept. 16

Winter of our discontent

That chill that’s arriving each evening is more than a folksy or charming reminder that fall colours, pumpkins and, soon enough, that first snow, are on their way.
The killing frost is a real scare for many Charlotte County residents who are torn up wondering how they’ll find the money, or what they’ll have to do without, in order to keep their homes or apartments warm this winter.
Whatever their poison – oil, electric, natural gas or wood – energy is getting more expensive all the time. Too expensive for too many people.
And in the face of what promises to be the most costly winter on record here, what has Shawn Graham’s Liberal government done? Cut a pittance of a subsidy – the provincial Home Energy Assistance Program worth a whopping $100 per household per year.
About 55,000 households benefited from this program as seniors on fixed incomes, the working poor and those on social assistance took advantage. A hundred bucks isn’t much but when you’re on a fixed income and you’re barely able to pay the bills (or at least pay enough to avoid a shut-off) it can be a flicker of light in a dark winter night.
The ranks of those who are hurting are expected to grow this winter. Home heating oil bills, for example, are up 37 per cent. One Charlotte County resident said her bill, on an equalized payment schedule, is going up $117 per month. She expects to pay about $4,500 for oil this fall and winter. She’ll be able to swing it but she wonders how others will manage. That $100 subsidy would have at least covered one month’s worth of the increase.
At the Volunteer Centre of Charlotte County, Donna Linton is bracing for an increase in clientele this winter as the reality of heating bills hits with full force. People, from the working poor to the unemployed, are going to need help. The Graham government is offering little.
And then there’s gas prices. Gas price regulation was supposed to protect consumers from the kind of 13-cent-per-litre bomb that dropped last week in the wake of Hurricane Ike – a storm that clobbered Texas but left the oil refineries there, thankfully, in good shape.
Across the St. Croix River in Maine, the price of gas rose only CDN three cents a litre. Is it any wonder New Brunswickers are turning to Fredericton and asking, “What’s going on here?”
Politicians will tell us the gas price spiked because of emergency conditions or they’ll cite the New York Harbour pricing formula as justification for our outrageous rates. Don’t be fooled. Gas went up 13 cents per litre because the Graham government is failing to protect consumers. If the current gas price regulation system, introduced by Graham’s predecessor, Bernard Lord, isn’t working, no one is in a better position to fix it than Graham.
In the bigger picture, all that money New Brunswickers are spending on oil and gas is money they aren’t spending at local stores, restaurants and other businesses. Everybody hurts.
Oh the province is happy to hand over cash or issue loans to homeowners who take steps to make their homes more efficient. The New Brunswick Energy Efficiency program offers $2,000 grants or $10,000 loans to people who can upgrade their homes. It’s little use to those living paycheck to paycheck but it’s a great program for people who can afford to renovate. It’s a huge financial help to those who need help least.
Many of us have the luxury of grumbling about gas prices as we idle in line at a drive-through or as we turn up the thermostat a notch. But some New Brunswickers will think hard this winter about whether to spend money on heating or eating.
For those most in need, the province is offering even less comfort than it did last year. And that’s chilling.



THEY REPLIED... in a letter received Sept. 23

Editor

Saint Croix Courier


Dear Editor:

I would like to respond to an article which appeared in your newspaper on Sept. 16thregarding the home heating assistance program.

The government realizes that the winter heating season is fast approaching, and shares concerns regarding the rising cost of home heating fuel and the impact on New Brunswickers.

The home energy assistance program had originally been put in place as a one-year program and was extended last year by government to include last year’s winter season, which ended up having $5.5 million issued to 55,000 New Brunswickers through rebates of $100.

The program has expired but we realize that energy costs are higher than ever and that many will find heating their homes especially challenging this winter.

As such, a review of all assistance programs that are offered through Finance, the Department of Social Development, as well as the programs available through Efficiency NB are being examined to see how to proceed for this winter.

The government wants to ensure that the programs that are being offered are effective and that assistance is being provided to those most in need. The government will be making an announcement in this regard in the coming weeks.

With respect to pensioners, this government is committed to assisting low-income seniors. Effective April 1, 2007, the Low-Income Seniors Benefit was doubled from $100 to $200. For further information on the Low-Income Seniors Benefit, please see the following website: http://www.gnb.ca/0024/tax/seniors.asp

Thank you for allowing me the space to respond to this important issue.

Sincerely,


Victor Boudreau

Minister of Finance