As concern over skyrocketing hydro rates remains the focus at Queen’s Park, the leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative party brought the issue to London.
Patrick Brown visited manufacturing company North Star Ice at 4 Stuart Street Saturday morning before meeting with local media to discuss Ontario hydro rates.
In a press release at the event, Brown stated “Small business owners are the backbone of our province but they’re struggling with Kathleen Wynne’s skyrocketing electricity prices.”
The Ontario PC leader cited the Ontario Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault’s comments on Friday when Thibeault stated that the party had made errors in some of their decisions that impacted energy rates.
Brown spoke with AM980 Friday about the issues he’s concerned about in the energy portfolio.
“For me, North Star is symbolic of what we’re seeing in the hydro crisis, Kathleen Wynne’s hydro crisis,” Brown said. “Here’s a company that employs local London residents and – back in 2008 before the hydro crisis – their hydro bill, at their busiest month, was $18,000 now it’s $39,000 during their busiest month. Their hydro bill, despite having a similar volume of hydro needed, is double.”
“That’s breaking the back of businesses, it’s just not sustainable. I don’t want to see small businesses in London put under because of Kathleen Wynne’s hydro crisis.”
Brown attributed hydro rate increases in part to the Green Energy Act and poor decisions on the part of the governing Liberal Party led by Premier Kathleen Wynne.