Horwath meets with Hamilton small business, talks NDP plan to cut hydro bills by up to 30%

Today Ontario NDP Leader and Hamilton Centre MPP Andrea Horwath met with Terrilea Pitton, owner of Southern Smoke BBQ House, to discuss how the NDP plan to reduce rates by up to 30 per cent will benefit small business owners like her. 

“It’s time for the people of my hometown of Hamilton to pay less for – and own more of – our hydro,” said Horwath. “Affordable, reliable public power will be the backbone of the electricity system under an NDP government.”

Horwath’s plan will lower hydro bills by reversing the selloff of Hydro One by the Wynne Liberals and Conservative governments, as well as through a number of immediate steps and long-term fixes to the hydro system. Ms. Pitton said that the NDP plan makes sense to her. 

“With a large walk-in cooler and four additional fridges running 24 hours, our electricity usage is constant,” said Ms. Pitton. “Add on top of that the lights when the restaurant is open and air conditioning in the summer, and we are really struggling to keep up with the costs. We need some help and we think the best way to get it is with the NDP hydro plan that Andrea discussed with us today.”

Horwath noted that the NDP plan is in stark contrast to the Wynne Liberals’ press releases and PR stunts about the government’s borrowing approach. Although it hasn’t been put on paper yet, Premier Kathleen Wynne says she intends to borrow billions for hydro, racking up as much as $40 billion in interest charges.

“If Wynne is planning to sign Ontarians on to a $40-billion borrowing deal, she owes us all one heck of an explanation. That’s why I’m calling on her to table a bill – so it can be properly debated by the legislature, by the public, and by experts.” 

In stark contrast to Wynne’s pricey borrowing scheme, Horwath’s plan will bring an extra $7 billion in dividends to the province – money that can be used in schools and hospitals.

While the Wynne approach appears to benefit bankers most, the Conservatives haven’t provided any sort of a plan at all to deal with sky-high hydro bills.