McGuinty Government’s hydro plan a mess, says MPP Arnott

The McGuinty Liberal Government's electricity policy is in tatters, says Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott.

“Ontario’s hydro customers need reliable electricity at the lowest possible price,” said Mr. Arnott. “Instead of concentrating on meeting these basic expectations, the Liberals have repeatedly broken the promises they've made to Ontarians on hydro.”

In the 2003 provincial election campaign, Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty committed to freezing hydro rates at 4.3 cents a kilowatt hour through to 2006. He also promised to close the Province's coal-fired generating stations by 2007.

“Both of these promises, which were key elements of the Liberal platform, have been unceremoniously abandoned,” Mr. Arnott stated.

Ontario residents have been encouraged to conserve electricity, wind mills have been constructed, and some new run-of-the-river and natural gas-fired generating facilities are planned. However, demand for electricity is still projected to exceed the available supply in the coming years.

“The Liberals must begin to come forward with truthful answers on hydro, outlining exactly how they propose to address the challenges the Province faces in the future,” Mr. Arnott concluded.