BILL NO. 197

(as introduced)

2nd Session, 60th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
57 Elizabeth II, 2008

Private Member's Bill

Public Utilities Act
(amended)

Graham Steele
Halifax Fairview

First Reading: October 31, 2008

(Explanatory Notes)

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

Clause 1 provides a new definition of "small business" for the mandate of the small business advocate in hearings before the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

Clause 2 provides that the consumer advocate and the small business advocate cannot be the same person.

1 Subsection 92(1) of Chapter 380 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Public Utilities Act, is repealed and the following subsection substituted:

(1) In this Section, "small business" means a business to which the small general tariff (rate code 10) or the general tariff (rate code 11) approved by the Board for Nova Scotia Power Incorporated applies.

2 Chapter 380 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 92 the following Section:

93 The same person may not be appointed as both the consumer advocate under Section 91 and the small business advocate under Section 92.