October 5th, 2016

Gélinas calls out Thibeault for false promise of 20 per cent hydro rebate to Sudbury families

During Question Period today, Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas, demanded the Liberal MPP for Sudbury, and the Minister of Energy, Glenn Thibeault, admit that the great majority of northern families will not be receiving the Wynne government’s promised additional hydro rate rebate.

“For weeks now, people from northern and rural Ontario have been told by this minister that they are going to get a 20 per cent reduction on their hydro bill. The minister stood in this House on September 27, and said, ‘A 20 per cent reduction for families in rural, remote and northern communities, like in my part of the province, will actually be a significant savings for many families.’ The minister lives in the riding of Sudbury, and not one of his constituents will qualify for the 20 per cent savings,” Gélinas said.

“Will the minister correct his record and tell the people in his riding that they are not, and will not, be eligible for the 20 per cent in savings?”

Gélinas said of the 1.8 million people who live in remote, rural and northern Ontario, the majority do not qualify for the 20 per cent in savings off their hydro bill.  Thibeault said today that only 330,000 will be receiving the rebate.

I get phone calls daily from people from Nickel Belt and Sudbury who are struggling with their hydro bill and they want to know if they will be eligible for the 20 per cent savings or not. We have the member from Sudbury, the Minister of Energy, telling them that northerners will get a 20 per cent saving on their hydro bill, but then they call Hydro One, and Hydro One tells them that they do not qualify for the savings,” Gélinas said.

“It would be helpful if the minister could correct his record and tell the people of his riding that they do not qualify and frankly, neither do most of the people in Nickel Belt. We don’t qualify either, for the savings.”