Premier chooses Liberal Party over public trust in Ontario’s energy sector

Today, the Liberal government voted against an NDP opposition day motion calling for the establishment of a Public Inquiry on the awarding and management of public contracts in the energy industry. Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath tabled the motion for a ‘Charbonneau Commission’-style inquiry in response to widespread concerns that the government is setting energy policy according to what benefits the Liberal Party of Ontario rather than what is best for the families, businesses and industries in the province.

“People deserve to know their government isn’t corrupt, but when they’re facing five police investigations, people start to worry,” said Horwath. “The government should be asking how they can ensure Ontarians have affordable, clean, reliable electricity. Instead they’re asking what the energy system can do for the Ontario Liberal Party.”

Citing the $1.1 billion cancellation of the gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville, the cancelling offshore wind contracts, the sell-off of Hydro One and ‘cash for access’ fundraising, Horwath laid out a pattern of costly, politically-motivated decisions in the energy sector that have eroded the public’s trust in the Premier and her government.

“The Premier said that she would clean things up, but four years later nothing has changed,” said Horwath. “A public inquiry would have cleared the air. Instead she once again chose the Liberal Party over the families and businesses of Ontario.”