Brown’s Conservatives stand by Wynne’s hydro scheme as Libs hide costs and emails: NDP

As the Wynne Liberals attempt to hide the costs of their widely criticized hydro borrowing scheme, Conservative Energy critic Todd Smith has confirmed that Patrick Brown would leave Wynne’s costly program in place – one that will leave Ontarians paying billions in interest to private investors for decades to come.

On Tuesday, the Auditor General released a damning report on the Wynne Liberal’s hydro plan, highlighting that Ontario families and businesses will be charged $4 billion extra in order for Wynne to hide the debt her hydro scheme piles on. On Wednesday, when asked by media if a Conservative government would keep the plan in place, Smith said they would.

“The Auditor General has shown that Kathleen Wynne's hydro scheme will cost Ontarians $40 billion, and part of the plan is to have families pay $4 billion extra for borrowing tricks to hide how bad the plan is. Now the Conservatives have admitted they don’t have any better plan,” said Tabuns. “Patrick Brown and the Conservatives have been dancing around this issue – like every other policy issue. But this week, Todd Smith made clear, in no uncertain terms, that a Conservative government would keep Ontario moving down the disastrous path laid out by Kathleen Wynne.”

Wednesday in committee, Tabuns moved a motion calling for the Liberals to release all emails relating to the borrowing scheme. Liberal committee members used their majority to block the motion. When questioned about the emails Thursday morning, Kathleen Wynne refused to answer, and deferred to Liberal Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault, who offered only well-worn Liberal talking points in response.

“The Wynne Liberals are trying to hide the real costs of this terrible deal, and the Conservatives think this is the right way to run our hydro system,” said Tabuns. “Liberal and Conservative governments created this mess through privatization and deregulation, and now they are going to make things worse with accounting smoke and mirrors. Ontarians deserve better.”

New Democrats have raised alarm bells about the costs of the plan since it was announced, and have called for an end to the privatization of Ontario’s hydro system. Andrea Horwath’s plan maintains the savings – and lays out a better way to lower bills, and keep them low.

“New Democrats have a plan to return Hydro One to public hands, to regain control over skyrocketing hydro prices,” said Tabuns. “The plan will put Ontario families first by lowering hydro bills permanently, and eliminating unfair Time of Use billing practices. New Democrats understand what Ontario families are dealing with. And we know we can make life better.”