Documents reveal Wynne Libs spending $5.5 million on ads for hydro scheme

Today during question period, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath grilled the Wynne Liberals about a $5.5-million dollar ad campaign designed to sell Ontarians on their $40-billion hydro borrowing scheme.

That advertising plan was revealed in documents obtained by the NDP through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The FOI documents also reveal the Wynne Liberals’ reason for this expensive campaign: to combat “negative media coverage of rising electricity bills.” 

“$5.5 million is an eye-popping number, especially when the Financial Accountability Officer has said this Liberal scheme is going to do more harm than good in the long run when it comes to families’ hydro bills,” said Horwath. “Why doesn’t the premier take that money and actually use it to help all those who are struggling to pay their hydro bills every month?”

The $5.5-million budget will keep the advertising on airleading up tothe June 2018 election. That budget does not advertise the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) for low-income families. A separate budget of about half that amount is used to advertise the OESP.

“Can the Liberals tell us why they are more concerned about spending public money to save their own political skin than they are about helping families get relief from soaring hydro bills?” Horwath asked during question period today.  

In February, Horwath released the NDP plan for lowering everyone’s hydro bills by at least 30 per cent and bringing Hydro One back into public ownership, so that Ontarians have control over hydro rates again.

“Our plan will lower hydro bills, and keep them down,” said Horwath. “Ontarians are being forced by the Wynne Liberals to choose between keeping the lights on or feeding their families – we can do so much better for people.”