Horwath brings story of Hydro woes to Queen’s Park

Today during Question Period Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath told the story of Richelle McDonald and her family to illustrate to the Premier the effect that her wrong-headed Hydro One sell-off is having on families in West Niagara and across Ontario.

“Richelle and her husband Justin have three children. The whole family struggles with different illnesses that keep them each on medication,” said Horwath.  “She told me that for the past few months, her hydro bill has been so high that she has been forced to choose between the medications her family needs, and keeping the lights on.”

Horwath urged the Premier to listen to Richelle’s struggles, understand that the cost of hydro is getting too high for families like Richelle’s to afford, and put an immediate halt to any further sell-off of Hydro One.

“Richelle had to tell her 16, 15 and 13-year-old children that the family was not putting up Christmas lights this year.  It devastated her to do it because stringing lights has been a family tradition since her eldest was born,” said Horwath.  “Why doesn’t the Premier understand the effects that her wrong-headed hydro sell-off is having on people?”

Horwath has been travelling the province meeting with families who are struggling under the riding cost of their hydro bills.  The Ontario NDP is committed to fighting the further sell-off of Hydro One and to permanently removing the Ontario portion of HST from people’s bills.