Discussions

still at it eh?  
 
that is one of the list of contracts I provided

MTS as a crown corp would never have been able to compete with the big telecoms in terms of the technology and services they could offer. It was visionary to sell it off when they did. Don't know why people are still sore about it.  
 
They should privatize Hydro (they won't) and Liquor and Lotteries too.

belzebob said "in my above post you will see that 500 mw contract with xcel energy is worth 3 billion dollars over 10 years     this debt is payable. with more capacity and transmission we should be able to handle the debt     granted we will have to find more sales "

That debt is not payable, that won't even keep up with the interest. So you are willing to pay a higher rate to a crow corp. just to keep it a crown corp.? Really??? You would willingly pay more to someone wasting your money than sell it off to someone who can turn a profit and pay taxes to the Manitoba government and help pay down our debt instead of adding to it? Solar panels and wind towers, will just add to the debt as they are all highly subsidized. I just can't figure out you train of thought with some of your posts. I can tell who you vote for, think you are a strong union lover, and possibly used to work for Hydro? Close?

No one has mentioned one of the recent hits to Manitoba Hydro's plans to sell clean energy to the Americans is the abundant natural gas produced through fracking. Can run a gas turbine based power station cheaper than importing Canadian hydroelectric power.

http://machinedesign.com/editorial-comment/fracking-it-s-better-alternatives

belzebob said "in my above post you will see that 500 mw contract with xcel energy is worth 3 billion dollars over 10 years     this debt is payable. with more capacity and transmission we should be able to handle the debt     granted we will have to find more sales "

Granted we will have to find more sales....that is the statement every business that goes broke says. There are lots of good ideas that would work if only the sales were tripled. The sales to the US looked so promising until they found out the could convert existing coal generating stations to work with natural gas. Where else are we going to sell our excess hydro too? Ontario maybe, SK probably not, Nunavut doubt it. The landscape has changed so we have to stop pretending it's going to get better. It doesn't matter which party is in control, the business decision is to stop building excess capacity when it isn't sustainable.

Seems like many here have very short memories. EXACTLY as is happening now - a new Conservative government appoints a new Hydro Manitoba board and we are bombarded with Hydro's being on the ropes and set to cost Manitoba taxpayer millions upon millions because of past decisions and future projections. What's next" Surprise! The decision to sell Hydro in order to save Manitobans from this monster debt. debt. More than likely to an American hedge fund - where, once he leaves public life the Premier will find himself on THAT company's Board of Directors.  
 
We seen this same political 3-card-monty played on us before...by many of the same characters.

If they sold hydro. Our rates would go up forever right? And pretty much double to put us on par with the rest of Canada?  
 
If our rates go up and hydro stays a crown corp. eventually they should come back down after they recouped all this money they are in debt? How every long that takes 5-10-15 years?  
 
Correct me if I'm wrong?

Orion's-Belt said "If they sold hydro. Our rates would go up forever right? And pretty much double to put us on par with the rest of Canada?     If our rates go up and hydro stays a crown corp. eventually they should come back down after they recouped all this money they are in debt? How every long that takes 5-10-15 years?     Correct me if I'm wrong? "

You are wrong, the rates would never come down, crown or privately owned. You just wanted someone to correct you if you were wrong, so I corrected you, not trying to pick a fight! lol.

the claim that a crown corporation ownership of hydro would mean never ending increases to power costs is not true.  
 
there is a fundamental difference between a crown corporation and private business.  
 
crown corporations provide services at the smallest possible rate for the citizens.  
 
private companies only reason to exist is to provide maximum profit for its shareholders.  
 
given a monopoly, rates will skyrocket and we only have to look to Ontario to see some of the effects.  
 
I do not believe ANY government has the right to sell that utility unless it has been an election issue and the shareholers, (the citizens) can make an informed choice before they elect a party.

belzebob said "the claim that a crown corporation ownership of hydro would mean never ending increases to power costs is not true.     there is a fundamental difference between a crown corporation and private business.     crown corporations provide services at the smallest possible rate for the citizens.     private companies only reason to exist is to provide maximum profit for its shareholders.     given a monopoly, rates will skyrocket and we only have to look to Ontario to see some of the effects.     I do not believe ANY government has the right to sell that utility unless it has been an election issue and the shareholers, (the citizens) can make an informed choice before they elect a party. "

I agree that there is a fundamental difference between the two, but a private business has to be accountable for it's actions, a crown corp. obviously doesn't or they wouldn't be in the shape they are in. To think that crown corps. provide a service at the lowest possible rate is nuts! They need to make a profit as well and any extra is a bonus to the government, in a round about way it's a tax stream for the government to generate more income. Manitoba Hydro already is a monopoly and their rates are going to skyrocket, so that statement makes no sense, a private business would be regulated so as they wouldn't be able to make the size of rate increase that is coming to us now. Manitoba Hydro has been run so inefficiently for so long, and I have friends that work for them that would back me up on that, no wonder they are in so much trouble. Maybe being privatized wouldn't be the best route to go, but it should be made to run financially as though it were.