Leader Patrick Brown: Hydro One Fire Sale Will Hurt Northern Ontario
QUEEN’S PARK – Today, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown questioned Premier Wynne in the Legislature over the severe impact the fire sale of Hydro One will have on Northern Ontario.
“The people of Northern Ontario stand to be some of the hardest hit by the Hydro One fire sale,” said Leader Patrick Brown. “The PC Caucus understands that the availability of affordable power is good public policy. With a publicly owned Hydro One, this government can’t abandon the people and businesses of Northern Ontario. But a privately owned Hydro One can.”
Remote communities are powered by transmission lines which are generally considered to be non-profitable, typically they have been offset by profits Hydro One made in highly populated areas. There is a risk a private Hydro One will view Northern transmission lines as a poor return on investment.
“The loss of majority control of Hydro One means the government loses the ability to expand transmission lines as a matter of good public policy,” added Leader Patrick Brown. “If a privately owned Hydro One feels that expanding transmission lines into the Ring of Fire is a bad decision for its investors, then they simply won’t build it.”
Brown concluded, “Will the Premier admit that by giving up control on Hydro One, she has given up on the Ring of Fire and the billions of dollars and thousands of jobs that it would bring to Northern Ontario?”
VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmkDSNrILWE