Andrea Horwath (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)Andrea Horwath (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
London

NDP Launches Hydro Petition

Ontario's New Democrats say the Wynne government has no mandate to privatize Hydro One.

The party has launched an on-line petition to stop the sell-off of 60% of the utility, even though the Liberal majority will be able to push it through.

Party leader Andrea Horwath says the Premier should've let Ontarians know of her plan during the election campaign.

"Kathleen Wynne did not run on this," says Horwath. "She does not have a mandate to do this. The people have not even been consulted about this. It's going to cause a huge impact on our hydro bills."

The Liberals maintain their election platform did include the idea of reviewing provincial assets with the possibility of selling some in order to invest in infrastructure.

But Horwath isn't buying that line.

"She (Wynne) was not straight up. She behaved in a very dishonest way when it comes to her plans to sell off Hydro," says Horwath. "This is the people's asset. This is not her asset to play with."

Horwath also notes the Liberals refuse to use the word "privatization," instead using terms and phrases like "maximizing assets" and "unlocking value." She adds there is no doubt the cost of electricity will rise, as investors who purchase shares in Hydro One look to maximize the return on their investments.

The NDP's petition can be found at www.youpaytheprice.ca.

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