By Kim Zarzour - YorkRegion.com
Ontario energy costs are “through the roof”, leaving some York Region residents concerned about meeting monthly payments and losing their homes, Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman said.
Mr. Shurman and Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak held a press conference Friday at the hydro transformer station in Richmond Hill to highlight the impact of what Mr. Shurman called “expensive energy experiments” on Ontario families and businesses by the province.
Mr. Shurman has had a constant stream of e-mails from constituents struggling with increasing costs, he said.
“We’re entering a heavy period of energy bills,” said Mr. Shurman, Critic for Economic Trade and Development.
Electricity costs are a big concern because harmonized sales tax adds to the burden of smart meters, green energy assessment and rate increases, he said.
“There are some things you can and some things you can’t mess around with when you’re operating a business or operating a household. Buildings need to be heated and lit,” he said. “This is a big problem and it needs to stop.”
While NDP Leader Andrea Horwath promised at Queen’s Park this week to scrap the HST on energy bills, making up for the shortfall with increased corporate tax, the Tories aren’t revealing their plans, other than to say the solution is the Oct. 6 provincial election.
Despite being aware the two Conservatives were invading his turf, Richmond Hill Liberal MPP Dr. Reza Moridi said he didn’t plan to attend this afternoon’s protest.
“It’s their show,” Dr. Moridi said Friday morning.
However, he did mention any talk of blaming the provincial Liberals for electricity prices is comical.
“We are all still paying down the debt that they created under Mike Harris,” Dr. Moridi said.
“They made the mistake of selling hydro for less than cost back then to the tune of an $18-billion debt that we still feel today.”
The price for electricity in Ontario is less than in Europe or the United States, Dr. Moridi said, adding his government cannot sell it for less than cost value.
“If the Conservatives think that we can, they are simply not being realistic,” he said.
Mr. Hudak has called on Premier Dalton McGuinty to make time-of-use pricing optional for families and announced that he will create a consumer advocate at the Ontario Energy Board to ensure all decisions reflect the consumer’s ability to pay.