安省低收入家庭 有望得到 暖气电力等 能源津贴

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http://www.1tor.com/index_readnews_ads.asp?id=233868

多伦多信息港 http://www.torontoservice.com 2008-5-20 6:26:00

【多伦多信息港】(记者彭琳报道)：一直以来，安省很多低收入家庭艰难承担着供暖供电费用，现在终于有望很快得到期盼已久的负担减轻。

在星期五的审决会上，安省分法庭(Ontario's Divisional Court)表示作为天然气和电力费用的专裁者－－安省能源协会(Ontario Energy Board，OEB)有合法权力制定优惠价格计划，帮助很难支付上涨费用的居民。

投身此问题2年多的反贫穷人士称，该裁定意味着安省可能会很快加入美国和欧洲的一些权限机构，这些机构已设定了一系能源可承担计划，帮助低收入家庭支付暖气和电力费用。

律师Mary Truemner表示预计今冬天然气价格将上涨20％，此裁决无疑是一个好消息。Truemner代表的是低收入能源网(Low-Income Energy Network)，一个合法诊所和反贫穷组织的共同联盟。

但是，法庭并没有规定OEB可以对贫困家庭提供优惠费用，并表示安省能源部长“还没有发布任何政策声明，要求能源委员会考虑居民支付能力，调整费用”。结果，最终决定权转向了能源部长菲利浦斯(Gerry Phillips)。

Truemner称：“我们希望部长能够指导OEB举行能源听证会，看一看不断上涨的能源价格迫使安省低收入家庭面对供暖、食物以及房屋问题做出的艰难抉择，考虑一下可承担费用计划。”

Truemner还表示，处于加拿大低收入标准以下的家庭都应该符合受帮助标准。虽然安省有紧急能源基金以及其它项目，但是网络联盟称这些并不能帮助所有需要帮助的家庭。

 

[Mike教练]

About the Divisional Court

The branch of the Superior Court of Justice known as the Divisional Court is one of the busiest appellate Courts in Canada and is not a trial Court. Every judge of the Superior Court of Justice is also a judge of the Divisional Court.
Appeals to the Divisional Court are generally heard in the judicial region where the matter originally arose.
The Divisional Court is the principal forum for judicial review of government action in the province of Ontario. The Divisional Court also hears statutory appeals from administrative tribunals in the province and some civil appeals as provided for under the Courts of Justice Act. The jurisdiction of civil appeals to the Divisional Court increased to $50,000 effective October 1, 2007.

 

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The Ontario Energy Board regulates the province’s electricity and natural gas sectors in the public interest.

OEB Home | OEB

 

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CNW Group | ADVOCACY CENTRE FOR TENANTS ONTARIO | Victory at Divisional Court - But low-income energy consumers still face fight for affordable rates

Victory at Divisional Court - But low-income energy consumers still face fight for affordable rates

TORONTO, May 16 /CNW/ - Today, the Divisional Court sided with low-income
Ontarians to rule that "the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has the jurisdiction to
establish a rate affordability assistance program for low-income consumers."

The Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN)'s representatives Mary Truemner,
Acting Director of Legal Services with the legal aid clinic the Advocacy
Centre for Tenants Ontario, and co-counsel Paul Manning of Willms & Shier
Environmental Lawyers LLP were pleased that the Court declared that "to
further the objective of protecting 'the interests of consumers' this could
mean taking into account income levels and pricing to achieve the delivery of
affordable energy to low income consumers ...". They were cautious, however,
in responding to the Court's determinations.

"While the Court ruled the OEB has jurisdiction, they did not also
determine that the Board must exercise their discretion to set affordable
rates for low-income consumers," said Mary Truemner. "It is for this reason
that we urge the Minister of Energy to issue a directive that the Ontario
Energy Board must design a rate affordability program to minimize the effects
of rising energy costs on low-income Ontarians facing choices between heating,
eating and paying the rent. The Court noted that "the Minister has not issued
any policy statement directing the board to base rates on considerations of
the ability to pay."

The Income Security Advocacy Centre, a LIEN member and legal aid clinic,
is asking that the government address energy poverty in its Poverty Reduction
Strategy.