Horwath: New Democrats Applaud Independent Watchdogs’ Call to Stop the Sell-off of Hydro One

Queen’s Park – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath issued the following statement:

“I welcome the principled stand taken by Ontario’s independent watchdogs against the Liberal sell-off of Hydro One.

Today’s statement by Ontario’s Ombudsman, Auditor General, Integrity Commissioner, Financial Accountability Officer, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, Environmental Commissioner and French Language Services Commissioner reinforces what New Democrats have been saying all along: Kathleen Wynne must stop her short-sighted, undemocratic sell-off of Hydro One.

Nobody voted for a hydro sell-off but it is Ontario families who will pay the price with higher hydro bills. As the independent officers of the legislature have stated today, Ontarians will also suffer from a loss of public oversight over Hydro One.

From frequent attacks on the authority of the Auditor General, to Harper-style omnibus bills, to running partisan ads on the taxpayer dime, and now stripping away any independent oversight of Hydro One it’s clear, this government is allergic to accountability.

Instead of stubbornly shutting down debate in the Legislature; instead of restricting public participation in committee hearings; instead of hunkering down in Toronto rather than holding hearings in communicates across this province, the Premier must listen to Ontarians, and to Ontario’s independent watchdogs, and immediately reverse her plan to sell-off Hydro One.”