The Commission requested the extension in order to investigate on taxation matters and other instances which had been raised by “a number of parties”, primarily because it was suggested many gas pipeline firms incorrectly incorporated the interest tax shield into the tax numbers submitted to the Commission earlier.

The initial draft report in May 2004 advocated for the imposition of control on “two gas transmission businesses and three gas distribution businesses”. The Gas Control Inquiry was requested by Hodgson in April of last year.