More than 1,000 people converged on Queen's Park this afternoon, calling on MPP's to cancel plans to privatize Hydro One.
The rally took place as the legislature began its final clause-by-clause review of the provincial budget bill, which includes legislation intended to make the sale legal.
One of the leading groups of the rally is the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario.
"We are here to tell the Liberal government that Ontario opposes this sell-off," says Fred Hahn, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario, one of the lead organizations hosting the rally. "Hydro One belongs to all of us, it is not theirs to sell."
According to CUPE, research shows that privately owned utilities have higher costs and charge higher rates than those that are publicly owned, even in regulated electricity markets.
"Selling Hydro One makes no economic sense, it makes no moral sense, and Ontarians oppose it," says Hahn. "We fought the P.C.s when they tried to privatize hydro, and we won. We'll use every tool at our disposal to fight this sale, too."
Earlier this week, Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson spoke to CKNX about the issues of the recent over billing concerns and the sale of the utility. She says families in the riding went through a stressful period this past winter trying to keep up with higher energy bills and having less money to work with.
"The stress of trying to keep the lights and heat on during the winter. It's been absolutely a mess," says Thompson.
The province's top accountability officers, including the ombudsman, auditor general and financial accountability officer, have also raised concerns that privatization would end public accountability and take away their ability to ensure Hydro One is providing affordable, quality service.
Thompson echoes that concern.
"We're going to lose any chance of oversight and accountability," she says.
