Wynne Liberals refuse to stop Hydro One rate hike

Yesterday, in a radio interview Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault announced that he would not use his powers to stop an unfair and unaffordable rate hike for Hydro One customers.

When asked by Andrew Lawton on AM980 if he would issue a ministerial directive to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to reject an application for a $141 per year increase he said, “so right now, I’m not going to ask them to consider rejecting anything.”

This comment came after Thibeault mistakenly told the host he didn’t have the power to direct the OEB, saying “I can’t go in there and start telling the OEB that you need to do this or you need to do that.” The radio host then presented Thibeault with a copy of a letter that he (as Minister) sent to the OEB asking a rate reduction as a part of the “Unfair” Hydro Plan.

On top of that, Liberal Ministers of Energy have issued over 100 directives to the OEB and the OPA on wide-ranging issues, including billion dollar smart meters that don’t work and expensive energy contracts that went to Liberal donors.

Was Minister Thibeault intentionally trying to mislead the radio interviewer and his audience or does he just not fully understand the scope of his powers? Why do the Wynne Liberals only issue directives to help out their friends and not hard-working Ontarians?