Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath is in Windsor speaking with some business owners who say they're getting zapped by high electricity rates.
Horwath says if the sell off of Hydro One goes through that shock will continue, especially for small and medium-size businesses. "We know that the electricity prices in this province are already making it very uncompetitive," says Horwath. "We know that Quebec and Manitoba ... are keeping their hydro systems public and they're selling hydro at about half or less of what we're charging here in Ontario."
She says an essential service like electricity should remain a public entity. "We're also concerned about the loss of revenue. That revenue right now amounts to close to $1-billion a year," she says. "When we lose that revenue we're going to lose revenue that funds things like education and health care and infrastructure."
Hydro rates are going up by 42% over the next few years, Horwath says, plus an expected 25% increase due to the privatization. The NDP is hosting a roundtable discussion on the privatization of Hydro One at 6:30pm Wednedsay at the Fogolar Furlan.