Millions of dollars paid to power consumers every year is at stake as partisan politics enter the Hawke's Bay Power Consumers' Trust October election.
The trust is mailing cheques for $200 to all electricity account holders in Napier and Hastings next week as it distributes increasing dividends from consumer-owned Unison Group, but a group of candidates wishes to cap the dividend at current levels.
Unison achieved an after-tax profit of $40.7 million this year, up from $24.6 million last year. An increased dividend of $12.7 million was paid to the trust this year, up from $9.7 million last year when the dividend cheque to 55,000 consumers was for $150.
Five candidates wish to consult with the community about diverting some of the profits to community projects. They are recently retired Unison Group chairman and current Hawke's Bay District Health Board (DHB) chairman Kevin Atkinson, former Napier MP and Cabinet Minister Chris Tremain, paediatrician and former Children's Commissioner Russell Wills, DHB board member and former Napier mayor Barbara Arnott and DHB member and former pharmacist Peter Dunkerley.
"The group of five strongly support the continuation of cheques going to consumers," Mr Atkinson said.