Talking Point: Don't say goodbye to your power cheque

Maxine Boag and Marie Dunningham

When your household has received their $200 dividend from the Hawkes Bay Power Consumers' Trust (HBPCT), be aware that there is a group of candidates in the upcoming Trust elections who want to limit the amount you receive in the future.

For many of us this annual dividend payout makes the difference between having Christmas or not. Grey Power has for years submitted at every five-yearly review of the Trust on the benefit of having the full dividend being shared among the consumers. So far the trustees have listened.

However, this year a group of candidates - Barbara Arnott, Kevin Atkinson, Peter Dunkerley, Chris Tremain and Russell Wills - have said they want to cap your power cheque and divert some of the profits into community projects. So far we have no idea what projects. They can do this.

Three candidates, Diana Kirton, Helen Francis and Ken Gilligan are running under the slogan "Your cheque - your choice" saying that they believe these community projects should be paid for through rates, taxes or sponsorship and that the dividend "belongs to power consumers and (that they) believe they should choose how to spend it."

Others, Garth Cowie, Giles Pearson and John Geoghegan all have said they are in favour of sending out the full dividend; Liz Remerswaal expressed a preference to put all the money in a community project. Bill Reilly could consider putting the money into the community.

There are five positions on the HBPCT, and 13 candidates in this three-yearly election. Every household which gets power will be posted voting papers starting Monday, September 11. Watch out for them, fill them in carefully and post them back before the deadline - October 2 this year.

The Trust Deed under which the trust operates gives the trustees a lot of power. They hold the shares from Unison on behalf of us, the consumers and, in their capacity as owners of the shares they can do a lot without consultation. There is a provision to consult with the public but no provision to act on public submissions. You have to trust them. They are trustees.

Grey Power asks you to consider well before you vote for these candidates. We are openly in favour of you getting your fair dividend. While this is good for low income people of all walks of life it is not the favourite option of people who have spare cash they like to "grow".

Not much comes the way of folks these days, especially those of us hard put to pay rent or rates, heating, food and for our health. We urge you to vote with this in mind.

Marie Dunningham is vice-president of Grey Power Hastings. Maxine Boag is Grey Power Napier publicity officer and is also a Napier City councillor. All opinions are the writers' and not those of Hawke's Bay Today.