Horwath fights for families, affordability during legislative session

With Ontarians facing a skyrocketing cost of living, Andrea Horwath and the NDP used the spring session of the legislature to lay out big plans to make life more affordable.

In February, Horwath announced her plan to return Hydro One to public hands and lower hydro bills by at least 30 per cent. In April, she announced that the NDP will create the first universal Pharmacare plan in Canada – drug coverage for everyone, so that no one has to empty their wallet to get the medicine they need.

“For 14 years, the Liberal government and Kathleen Wynne have made life tougher in Ontario,” said Horwath. “It’s harder for families to make ends meet and it’s a struggle for too many small businesses to stay afloat. The cost of Wynne’s sky-high hydro bills alone can be crushing. 

“It’s time for big ideas and big plans to deliver lower costs and less stress for Ontarians.”

In stark contrast, the Liberals spent the spring session doing even more damage. Premier Kathleen Wynne sold off more of Hydro One, privatizing almost 60 per cent of the profitable public company, despite the fact that 80 per cent of Ontarians oppose the selloff. Then, she used her majority to ram through a multi-billion-dollar borrowing plan -- aimed at saving her own political hide -- that will cause hydro bills to soar again as families are forced to pay back billions, plus interest.

Meanwhile, the only thing the Conservatives accomplished during the spring session was to hide their plans for a few more months. 

“They certainly didn’t do anything to make life easier for Ontario families,” said Horwath. “I don’t blame people for being worried about what the Conservatives would put on the chopping block and what they’d privatize next if they got the chance.'

The NDP championed a number of other concerns of Ontario families during the spring session, including demanding proper funding of hospitals, which Wynne shortchanged again this year by $300 million; fighting for funding for social housing left to crumble by Wynne; urging the laggard Liberals to finally ignite the Ring of Fire; and stopping Wynne from closing any of the 300 schools currently on the chopping block.