Opponents of Hydro One sale to host public meeting at 1000 Islands Mall

St. Lawrence News (Oct 29, 2015) – The proposed sale of a majority stake in Hydro One will be the subject of an information session in Brockville on Thursday, Nov. 12.

The meeting, to be held in the east community room at 1000 Islands Mall at 6:30 p.m., is being co-hosted by Rhonda Ferguson of Hydro One Not For Sale and Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark. His Progressive Conservative caucus colleague and the provincial party’s critic for the Hydro One sale, MPP Todd Smith, is the special guest.

“I’m pleased to team up with Rhonda to raise awareness about the government’s dangerous plan to sell off this invaluable public asset,” Clark stated in a release issued Thursday. “Despite the government’s assurances, we know rates will go up,” stated the local MPP, who added “that’s a frightening prospect for families in my riding who are already being forced to choose between heating and eating this winter.”

Ferguson indicated that privatization and resulting rate increases would force many businesses to close or move out of the province, “…create serious problems with outages, result in less money for public services as well as giving us less control over carbon emissions and other pollution.” Keeping hydro in public hands “…was to ensure accountability and reliable service,” according to Ferguson. “In one silent decision, the provincial government decided to change this.”

The “record of mismanagement” of the Liberal government led by Premier Kathleen Wynne “…calls into question their ability to manage the sale in the best interest of Ontarians,” according to Clark.

Original article