Liberal Government Prioritizing Lavish Salaries for Hydro One Executives Over Cash-Strapped Ontarians

QUEEN’S PARK – Today in the Legislature, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown questioned why the Wynne Liberals are prioritizing lavish paycheques for Hydro One executives, while the province’s skyrocketing hydro rates are making life more and more unaffordable for Ontarians.

“Last year the 51 highest paid CEOs and Presidents in the Province made a combined $24 million dollars,” said Leader Patrick Brown.  “Yet that’s how much the Liberals are giving to just the top 4 people at Hydro One.  The compensation doesn’t make sense when people in Ontario can barely afford their hydro bills.”

While the CEO of Cancer Care Ontario makes just over $500,000 and the CEOs of Colleges Ontario and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind make $300,000 annually, the Premier will pay the new Hydro One CEO $4 million a year.

Leader Patrick Brown added, “Those CEOs save lives, enrich Ontario and try to make this province a better province.  Hydro One’s CEO threatens to shut the power off to Ontario’s most vulnerable in the middle of winter.”

Moreover, the combined salaries of six hydro executives in four provinces are still less than the millions being paid to the new Hydro One CEO.

“The government knows hydro rates are amongst the highest in North America, yet the Premier continues to dance around justifying the gold plated paycheques to Hydro One executives,” Leader Patrick Brown continued.  “Why does the Premier think these salaries are acceptable?”