Efforts to stop Hydro One sale to be discussed at meeting in Timmins

Opposers to the sale of Hydro One are charging up their efforts to lobby the Liberal government.

Citizens Coalition Against Privatization Chair and former longtime New Democrat MPP Rosario Marchese says we’ve seen rates go from 4.5 cents a kilowatt hour to 30 cents, and fully privatizing the utility will put the rates further up.

“From what the Financial Accountability Officer said about four months ago, that we will lose approximately in nine years or so $500-million of profit,” he said.

Marchese adds the government will never be able to afford to buy the utility back once the 60 per cent is fully sold off.

You can have your opportunity to weigh in on the matter at a meeting Monday night at 6:30pm at St. Dominiques Parish.

But the efforts are much more than just a couple meetings.

Marchese is hoping to put in local chapters of the group across the province to help get their message out further.

“We believe individual stories of business people who believe they’re going to be affected—and they are—and families who believe they’ll be affected—and they will be—to get on to radio stations and say ‘I’m profoundly worried about this.'”

“Liberals listen to this kind of voice that they hear and see in papers and on the radio stations.”